Outsiders
by Starlight's Poet
Summary: RWBY is the story of four girls who dream of becoming heroes. RWBY is the story of four girls who are going to save the world. This story? It's the story of four girls trying to survive a bloody world of evolution. AU, White Rose, Bumblebee
1. Chapter 1

**Remnant...**

 **A world, left fractured, incomplete, mere pieces without a fixed point to return. It is a world that is all but the remains of a forgotten history, of a time that man has long since forgotten. Yet, within that world there are Legends. Epics. Stories scattered through time. Mankind has grown quite fond of recounting the exploits of heroes and villains, forgetting so easily that we are remnants, byproducts, of a forgotten past.**

 **Man, born from dust, was strong, wise, and resourceful, but he was born into an unforgiving world. An inevitable darkness – creatures of destruction – the creatures of Grimm – set their sights on man and all of his creations. These forces clashed, and it seemed the darkness was intent on returning man's brief existence to the void.**

 **However, even the smallest spark of hope is enough to ignite change, and in time, man's passion, resourcefulness, and ingenuity led them to the tools that would help even the odds. This power was appropriately named "Dust".**

 **Nature's wrath in hand, man lit their way through the darkness, and in the shadow's absence came strength, civilization, and most importantly, life. But even the most brilliant lights eventually flicker and die. And when they are gone... darkness will return.**

 **So you may prepare your guardians, build your monuments to a so-called "free world", but take heed... there will be no victory in strength.**

 _...but perhaps victory is in the simpler things that you've long forgotten. Things that require a smaller, more honest soul._

...

...

...

...

...

IN THIS WORD, THERE IS NO SMALL, HONEST SOUL

* * *

"In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity." -Sun Tzu, _The Art of War_

* * *

 ** _Outsiders_**

* * *

The roaring of the crowd was deafening to Yang Xiao Long's ears as she had her arms wrapped around the broad neck of a Beowulf, her lilac eyes burning red, and her golden her set ablaze. The black beast was thrashing around wildly, screeching and roaring as it tried to throw her off of it. It tried to scrape and claw at her limbs, but it couldn't reach her, nor could it throw her off of it. Her grip was that of a vice. It only grew tighter the more it struggled. The more the Grimm struggled, the closer it was to death.

 **"WHAT AN ASTOUNDING TURN OF EVENTS!"** the colorful narrator boomed as the crowd continued to scream in a wild frenzy. **"THE BEOWULF IS STRONG, BUT OUR COMPETATOR REFUSES TO LET GO! I DO BELIEVE SHE'S AIMING TO SNAP IT'S NECK! CAN SHE HOLD ON?!"**

 _'God, do they ever shut up?'_ the girl thought. They weren't necessarily wrong, though. She was trying to break it's neck, stop it from moving. She already had to deal with an Ursa earlier, along with a Creep and a few Boartusks, but she already wasted enough time here. She wanted to finish this up quick. As she tightened her grip, she felt the Grimm become weaker. It was starting to lose the ability to breathe. It eventually stood up on it's hind legs, clawing away at her arms. Her Aura was already depleted, thus the claws cut deep into her flesh. She bit back a hiss of pain, and instead continued to apply pressure. It's strength waned from it's struggle, and began to fall back. Once she was on her feet, she used her superior strength to throw the Beowulf to the ground. She had it now. The Grimm realized this, and tried escape.

It was too late. With a swift tug, a loud *SNAP* echoed throughout the arena. The Grimm ceased it's movements. Silence settled as she loosed her grip, standing up to her full height, panting. Her eyes and hair remained in their state, while sweat fell from her body. As seconds ticked by, the Beowolf's body slowly began to break apart, dissolving into mist. Once it did, the crowd erupted into roaring cheers. Yang thrusted her fist into the air, a sign of declaring her victory.

 **"AND THERE YOU HAVE IT, FOLKS! ONCE AGAIN, THE GRIMM FALL TO THE FEROCIOUS MIGHT OF THE DRAGON!"** the narrator shouted in excitement as well. **"HER AURA IS ALL BUT GONE, AND SHE'S TORE HER WAY THROUGH THE GAUNTLET! NOW, IT'S TIME FOR THE GRAND FINALE!"** The crowd grew even more ecstatic. Yang, for her part, simply looked at the gate, where all of her enemies emerged from. She stepped back, and cracked her knuckles and shoulders. The tension had yet to leave her body. **"THAT'S RIGHT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! IT'S TIME FOR THE BE-ALL END-ALL! THIS WILL BE THE LITERAL BATTLE TO THE DEATH! ON ONE SIDE, WE HAVE OUR REIGNING CHAMPION, THE DRAGON!** **"**

Yang glared at the gate. She could hear the sound of an elevator door whirring up. They were on their way here.

 **"AND ON THE OTHER SIDE, WE HAVE BY FAR THE MOST PSYCHOTIC HOMOCIDAL MANIAC TO EVER WALK THE PLANET! HE'S KILLED GRIMM AND PEOPLE ALIKE! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, GIVE IT UP FOR OUR CHALLENGER...!"**

The gate opened.

 **"THEEEEEEEEEE RIIIIIPPEEEEER!"**

As soon as the doors were open, a knife was sent flying, whistling through the air, aimed straight between the girl's eyes. Yang effortlessly dodged it, bobbing her head to the side. However, that was hardly the only projectile. More knives came flying with the intent of turning the blonde into a pin cushion. She dodged the incoming knives with ease, barely moving at all from her position. The number of knives thrown was quite staggering as she evaded them. One of them had nearly struck her face, leading to her grabbing it with her bare hand. The sharpened edge cut into her skin, causing blood to drip from her hand, and run down her arm. With a scowl of distaste, she threw the knife right back at the owner. It slipped back into the darkness. The crowd fell silent.

Seconds passed by. Three seconds. Five seconds. Eight. Thirteen.

Finally, her opponent emerged from the shadows. The one called Ripper was actually a Faunus, possessing dark red hair that fell down to his waist. His clothes were left in utter taters, looking more like rags than actual clothes. The top was nothing but ripped up cloth that hung by a thread from the look of it, and worn-out shorts he had on had several splatters of red, likely dried up blood. There were several scars on his body was well, most of which seemed to be from cuts, burns, or whiplashes. He looked to be in his late teens, probably close to the same age as her. He would have looked very cute, if not for the manic grin on his face, the deranged look on his eye, and the horrible burn on the left half of his face. Blood was dripping from his hands, creating splatters along the floor.

Yang winced. His hands were cut up, likely from his own knives. "Well..." she said slowly as she fell into her fighting stance. "Here's to a good fight, short stuff."

Ripper's only response was a mad laugh, flicking twin knives into hands from his belt, and charged straight at her, his grin toothy and sharp.

 _-scene break-_

"You know the job, right?" came the point-blank question when Belladonna arrived.

The Forever Fall forest was beautiful this time of year, with the leaves resembling a bloody red color, slowly plucked from the branches by the wind, and dancing through the breeze. The view that was overlooking the entirety of the forest was even more beautiful, as it showed every tree spread out for as far as the eye could see. Down below, a train was slowly making its way towards it's destination, guided by the tracks.

A train that belonged to the Schnee Dust Corporation.

The amber-eyed girl nodded solemnly, as she held her weapon in her hand. "Yeah," she replied to her partner for the time being. "Take the cargo, and deliver it to the White Fang. It's...easy, as far as deliveries go."

"Right." Her partner in crime nodded. "The hard part is getting through the security they set on the train. Well...hard for those that aren't us, that is."

The cat faunus stared at the cargo train. Her grip tightened. If she could have it her way, she wouldn't be accepting this job...but right now, they needed supplies. The White Fang was offering supplies, and more, if she could complete this task with her cooperator. Plus, it was always good to have connections to people in high places. And her cooperator was certainly high up. Her cooperator was a young man, around his late teens to early twenties. He had red hair spiked backwards in a windswept fashion, the upper half of his face concealed by a half Grimm mask. He was garbed in a pair of black pants, black shoes with red soles, and a red dress shirt. Over the shirt was a black trench coat with a red interior and slit sleeves. A large emblem was on the back of his coat, depicting a white tulip design covered by a red rose design.

She knew who he was. Adam Taurus, one of the leaders of the White Fang. The right-hand man to Sienna Khan. You couldn't find any better source of connection that him. That was why she couldn't say no to this job. It was too much of an opportunity to let it slip away. They needed all the resources they could get!

Were this any other time, she would have refused...but she made the choice.

Family over others. She had to take care of and protect her family. No matter what it took.

"You ready?" Adam asked her. She gave a nod. "Alright...let's go."

The two jumped, heading for the Schnee Cargo.

-scene break-

Traje de Luchas.

It was the most high class, most well-known and darkest club one could possibly find in Vale. The flashing lights, the wild jazzy music, and the intensive guard detail, it was the one place criminals, drug dealers, murders, scumbags, corrupted business dealers, anyone who played around in the underworld could be found here.

Some came here to make deals. Some came here for the sake of fun. Some came here to relieve some stress. Some came here to find some...pleasure.

Truly, it was the den of the darkest of Vale's underworld.

The band that performed, providing the musical entertainment for the guests, began to play once more, as the lights began to dim. Everyone in the room went quiet as they looked at the stage full of women, dressed in revealing red devil outfits with little tails and horns and covering something in the center of the stage. The band started playing a catchy tune and the dancers started bouncing their hips in time with the music.

 _("Ladies and gentlemen, we have a little change in performers tonight. We proudly introduce the Williams Orchestra, the Casey Trotters, and...Weiss!")_

The dancers all pulled away and revealed a beautiful, petite young woman with long white hair going down her back. She was scantily dressed in a white and silver one piece outfit that only covered her body, without sleeves or legs to cover her limbs and a micro-skirt that barely went down below her hips. A pair of beautiful white wings, obviously fake, were pressing up against her back, rather uncomfortably she might add, and was pushed in front of a microphone as the music started picking up.

Weiss Schnee was left at the front of the stage as the dancers trotted around the stage with their constant kicking and moving. She looked back ahead at a very familiar sight, an audience blacked out by the intense light overhead leaving nothing but moving silhouettes. She sighed away from the mic as she resigned herself to the situation at hand. She couldn't escape without causing a scene and she wasn't going to be let go until this song was over. Well, it's just like all of the other times she's done a gig like this. When she was being watched like this...

It was time to blow them away.

She moved some hair out of her eyes before stepping up to the mic and taking hold of its stand as the girls danced behind her. She closed her eyes as the jazz music echoed...

 ** _"~I'm a country girl, I ain't seen a lot, but you came along and my heart went POP!~"_**

 ** _"~You took a little street cart through my heart, and an apple of love fell off my apple cart!~"_**

 ** _"~You looked at me, my heart began to pound, you weren't the sort of guy I thought would stick around, Hey but it don't have to be eternally; my bad, bad angel put the devil in me!~"_**

Weiss tapped her foot and subtly shook her hips as the dancers kicking their legs up high behind her, **_"~You put the devil in me~"_**

The regular customers and patrons of the club turned in their seats and gave their full attention to the new girl with the captivating voice and performance, whistling and clapping for the fresh breath of life she gave this place.

" ** _~You lured me in with your cold grey eyes, you simple smile and your bewitching eyes; one and one and one is three, my bad bad angel...the devil and me!~"_**

 ** _"~You put the devil in me~"_**

 ** _"~You put the devil in me~"_**

 ** _"~You put the devil in me~"_**

 ** _"~So now my dear, I ain't the girl you knew~"_**

 ** _"~Cause the angel's got heaven, but I get you~"_**

 ** _"~And the tree of life grows tall you see~"_**

 ** _"~My bad, bad angel, you put the devil in me!~"_**

 ** _"~Oh, you put the devil in me!~"_**

 ** _"~You put the devil in me!~"_**

 ** _"~You put the devil in me!~"_**

 ** _"~You put the devil in me!~"_**

 ** _"~My bad, bad angel, you put the devil in me~"_**

The band let out one last long, loud chord before they went silent. The dancers all fell into place perfectly and Weiss ducked her head as the lights dimmed into darkness. The criminals and degenerates in the bar stood up and clapped, whistled, and pulled threw roses for the young performer. The white haired girl gave a soft sigh of relief. Another show done and over with.

 _'The things I do for love...'_ She thought in sorrow. She wasn't entirely sure how long it had been since they all met in the first place. She must have been...what? 17 now? Okay, that was sort of scary. She wasn't sure how old she was now, but then again, none of them ever really kept track of time. After all, everyday was just another day of trying to get by in a world like this. Everyone was doing what they did best; their own jobs to ensure they had what they needed. Yang fought in the underground arena, Blake accepted jobs in the White Fang, and she did small gigs in joints like this. She didn't really like it, to be honest. The disgusting looks the men gave her were vile. The only one she ever allowed to look at her that way was Ruby.

Also, just because she was a girl didn't mean she didn't know how to fight back. Case in point; the brawl that erupted not ten seconds after the song had ended. A group of thugs busted into the room, all armed with guns or scimitars or batons and whatnot. They were all dressed in black suits and bowler hats, along with red sunglasses. The one leading the group, however, was dressed differently than them. He bore slanted, dark-green eyes and bright, long, orange hair, with long bangs covering his right eye. He wore a black bowler hat with a red band and a small feather, and black eyeliner. He was dressed in a red-lined white suit and a small gray scarf, complete with black gloves with rounded sleeves, as well as long black pants and black shoes. In his hand was a black cane with red highlights.

"Hey!" one of the guests, a drug dealer named Viridian she recalled from small conversations she heard from the back rooms, stood up from his chair and waltzed up to the group. "What the hell do you think you're-"

 ***bang!***

All it took was for the orange-haired man to raise his hand up to Viridian's forehead, and a resounding "bang" echoed. The drug dealer fell back, a giant hole right in his forehead. All of the guests screamed, sans those who were in agreement. Meanwhile, the man grinned. "...you have no idea how long I've waited to do that to your smug look, Vir," he said with satisfaction before he looked around. "And I see just about every big name in Vale's nice underground is present and accounted for!" The audience did not really heed his words as they were all busy scrambling for cover to trying to get out through the other exits. Their behavior made the mobster sigh in frustration. "Gee...just when you want people to listen to you...they up and go make all hell break loose."

It was irony, she thought, that she completely understood someone like him. The man stood up on top of a table, aimed his cane upward, and fired off another round.

The room went deathly silent.

"There," he smirked. "MUCH better."

Weiss couldn't help but sweatdrop. At least he knows how to calm a crowd. The mobster then jumped down from the table. "Now then...let us get down to business... For those of you who don't know me, the name's Roman Torchwick. Remember the name, folks, because you'll all be hearing it again soon enough!" the mobster declared as he strutted about the room while his mooks kept every other thug in place. Most of the people here were high profile criminals, and so their security detail should be very trained to deal with them...but the guys in the black suits? They were tougher. Weiss didn't know who they were, but she recognized the orange-haired mobster, Roman Torchwick. He was the man responsible for so many Dust robberies over the years. She doubted anyone didn't know his name, given how many times he's successfully stolen large quantities of money and dust. Weiss bit the inside of her mouth. She should have known about him beforehand. Why was he here? That question was soon answered as he continued his speech. "You see, ladies and gents, I'm going to keep this as nice, quick, and as SIMPLE as possible, so you idiots can understand."

He then gestured to one of his goons, who nodded and waltzed right up to him.

"You see," Roman smiled. "As of right now...I'm taking over this joint."

With those five words, all hell broke loose. The goons he brought whipped out their weapons, ranging from firearms to red bladed swords. The guests became even more unnerved, while some of the detail tried to fight back. It didn't end well for them, as they were cut down or riddled with bullet holes. Soon, the majority of the security detail of Traje du Luchas was slaughtered, all for one act of disobedience. Those band and dancers screamed out with the guests, pedaling away while Weiss remained where she was, looking around. It was a rock, and a hard place, she realized. It was going to be hard trying to get past all of these goons.

"And there you have it," Roman smiled wickedly. "That, my friends, is what happens when you try and 'be the hero.' So, any more volunteers?" No one stepped up. "Good!" He then gestured to his men, who then began to stalk around the guests. "Now, I'm a very good man, you see. I'm not going to kill you people. Oh no, it would be a rather messy affair if I did that, so instead...I'll kindly ask you to hand over everything of value."

Some wanted to raise a stink, but blades were aimed at their throats. Soon, they began to comply. Gold, jewelry, briefcases with large sums of money, Dust, anything worth material value was thrown inside a burlap sack. The black clad men slowly made their rounds, gathering the money. Weiss, for a moment, felt greed take her over as she watched every sort of valuable being thrown into the sack. If she could steal at least one of those bags, their lien troubles wouldn't be any problem for a good long while. However, she soon banished the thought. If she tried to do that, she'd get herself killed...or worse. After all, it wasn't hard to miss those familiar, disgusting sneers on the men's faces as they drew close to the dancers on the stage, herself included.

"Damn, that's a fine chicka," one of the men said, loud enough for her. For the girl's part, she remained steadfast, and glared back in defiance. "Pretty young...what do you think a nice piece of ass like this is doing here?"

"Who cares?" his partner replied with a lecherous grin. "I'm loving the eye-candy."

She suppressed the urge to shudder and lash out in indignation, knowing that she could get killed. She settled for a glare instead. "Heehee, she's got a real stink-eye too!" one of them cackled, circling around her, his eyes roaming her body. "Goddamn, that looks like a tight ass...think she's a screamer?"

"Not much of a chest, though," the other remarked. Weiss felt her hands twitch. "But she's reeeeaally hot." He looked at his friend, smirking. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

His partner shrugged, smirking back at him. "Boss never said we weren't allowed to have fun on the job."

Weiss clenched her fists. The more she listened to their blather...the more she wanted to throttle them.

"Which do you prefer, front or back?"

"I'll take it up front," the man replied before moving closer to Weiss. "So what do you say, little angel baby? Feel up for some...fun?"

His hand went to her rear. As soon as his finger even touched her skin, Weiss' eyes went wide, livid with a burst of rage. In a split second, she grabbed the man's wrist, pulled him in, and pulled the silver dagger from it's hiding place, jamming it straight into his throat. Blood gushed from the open wound, and the gangster was left gagging as the red liquid gurgled in his throat. Without losing momentum, she rammed her knee into his private jewels, and kicked him away, down to the floor. His partner's eyes went wide, and tried to pull out his gun.

Weiss was faster. Her knife slashed at his hand, causing him to drop his firearm, and in a swift motion, charged straight forward. The blade went straight through his heart, killing him instantly. With a kick, he was down on the floor.

The commotion caught the attention of everyone. The guests stared at her with wide eyes, unable to believe what had just happened. The goons stopped their collection, and turned to find two of their comrades dead. Roman, who had been sitting down in his chair and relaxing, pulled the cigar out of his mouth, and looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

Weiss, however, was still livid, as she rounded on the still shocked gangsters, and snarled. "Don't ever touch me again, you fucking pigs!"

She was angry. She had every right to be. No one sexually harasses her like that and gets away with it. The only person she ever allowed to touch her like that was Ruby, and no one else. Roman soon recomposed himself and let out a small grin. He slowly clapped from being impressed. "Well now...looks we have a fighter here." All it took was a snap of the fingers, and the goons were surrounding her. Weiss' icy blue eyes glared back at her. Roman stood behind them with a smug smirk. "So...think your a hero, do ya, snow white?"

"Hardly," she spat. "I only let one person touch me...and none of you are that person. Now, if you would be so kind..."

She slammed her foot on the ground. In response, a brilliant icy blue glyph danced beneath her feet. From the glyph came some kind of giant, garbed in glowing armor. As the light dispersed, it revealed silvery armor, with a giant sword in hand. The goons were shocked by this, and Roman's eyes went wide, the cigar dropping from his mouth.

"...get the fuck out of my way!"

-scene break-

Run.

Run fast.

Don't stop.

Faster, and faster.

Ruby Rose repeated that mantra as she dashed through the woods, the snow crunching beneath her feet. Her breath grew heavy with every step she took. But she couldn't stop now. This was bad...very, very bad. The request she took was supposed to have been easy. Just eliminate a few Beowolves roaming around near the edge of the city, shouldn't be too much trouble. However, no one had told her that there wasn't just Beowolves...no, there was freaking Ursa, a flock of Nevermores, and a freaking Death Stalker! Worse, because of the request, she hadn't packed much ammo for her scythe. Gah, if only she knew...she really needed to take Blake's advice, in that she needed to stop underestimating everything just because it sounded easy.

She'd definitely make a note of that...provided she survives this. After running for a good while, she came to a stop, now in a large clearing. At least now she had some space. She can make do with this. As she cleaned off her cloak, battered as it was from the elements, she heard the familiar sounds of cawing, growling, snarling. Her silvery-eyes narrowed, and took out her weapon of choice.

The item she carried unfolded until it became a giant mechanical scythe. Its blade was stained by the blood of Grimm...as well as the blood of humans...

Shortly after, familiar black beasts began to emerge from the forest. From the howls of Beowolves to the growls of Ursai to the hissing of King Taijutus to the cawing of Nevermores. Just about every type of Grimm found in these forests stood before her in a pack thirsting for blood. Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "...note to self," she muttered as she prepared herself for a fight. "Make sure to have plenty of bullets."

An Alpha Beowolf let out a howl, and charged at her. The silver-eyed girl glared back at it, and charged forward, scythe tailing behind her, as were the rose petals that danced from her.

Then, she swung.

* * *

 _Once, there was a tale of four girls. Each with different backgrounds. Each with different hopes. Each with a seldom wish._

 _One was a little red girl, who aspired to become a hero, like the ones told in the books she was raised on._

 _One was a little white girl, born into a family of wealth, but constantly shadowed by the danger of the Faunus._

 _One was a fierce yellow girl, who wanted to find her mother, and look after her sister, the red girl._

 _One was a quiet black girl, who was ostracized for her heritage, and wanted to change the status quo._

 _They went about their lives, hoping to one day make their dreams come true. Perhaps, in the distant future, they would have achieved such heights of grandeur, guided by the beacon of light that paved the way for them, in a world under siege by the malevolent darkness._

 _But...that was not to be._

 _Tragedy struck each one of them, dashing their hopes and breaking apart the lives they once lived. They were alone in this world...until they found one another and banded together._

 _This is not a fairy tale, where four girls dreamed of becoming heroes._

 _This is not a fairy tale, where four girls journey to defend the light._

 _This is a fairy tale of four girls...who try to survive this bloody world of evolution._

* * *

 **-Chapter 1: Strays-**

*Two Months Later*

The Trans Continental Railroad Station.

Unlike the aerial means of transportation, it was land-based, and far faster than using cars. A railroad system that spanned the four kingdoms respectively, traversing areas that were otherwise too harsh to travel, such as Grimm territory. To ensure the trains' safety, Huntsmen and Huntresses were assigned to guard it, though every now and then, cargo trains were moving back and forth. One such cargo train was on it's way to Vale, speeding towards the city. The Grimm who wandered paid little attention to it, as they found no source of life inside.

That wasn't quite true. One of the cars, which carried crates of food and materials, had four occupants. The occupants were four girls. They were all different, with the youngest being 15 years old.

The first was a a gray jacket on top of an orange tank top that bares her midriff. Her hair was done into a ponytail, which was long, colored blonde and becoming lighter in color at the tips and a small cowlick on top of her head. She had a pale complexion and lilac eyes. An emblem resembling a flaming flower sat on the sleeve. It was tattered and worn out, with several tears along the arms. The same could be said for her tank top, which had a few tears near the bottom. Completing her attire were gray cargo pants, which show the rim of her dark undergarments, and white sneakers. High on the left leg of her pants was a red shield-shaped patch with imagery of three Ursa masks. A little lower on the right leg of her pants was a patch of her emblem. Around her wrists were golden armbands which resembled vambraces, which had red accents.

The second was a girl with long white hair, pulled back in an off-center ponytail. Her skin was quite pale, and had icy blue eyes, which was emphasized by her eye color. Close to her left eye was a singular scar, which ran horizontally. Her attire was rather simple, which was a pale blue jacket with short sleeves, and a pure white blouse, along with a light blue skirt, which had a dark blue snowflake pattern on it on the right side. Much like the blonde, her jacket was slightly teared, but less so. She also wore transparent, black knee-high socks with another snowflake pattern, also colored light blue, along with pure white high heels. At her hip was a long rapier, with the hilt resembling a revolver, different colored vials set at where the chamber would be.

The third was a girl with a light complexion. She had long, wavy black hair, and her eyes were amber, complemented by light-purple eye shadow flaring backwards. Her eyes were slightly tilted upwards at the ends, giving her a somewhat catlike appearance. This was actually quite on the mark, as she was a Faunus, with black triangular ears with a light pink canal hidden behind a black bow. She wore a white v-neck zip-up shirt that was black along the bottom and had mid-length sleeves. Her belladonna flower emblem was printed in off-white on the left side of the shirt. She wore black pants that had a vertical gray stripe on the outer side of each leg, and a black belt with them. Attached to the inner side of the belt was a black, somewhat curved, banner-like piece of fabric that hanged from the back and extends forward to her hips. On the underside of that was a thinner, longer, similarly-shaped purple piece of fabric. Her black high-heel boots came halfway up her calves and had a pair of belted straps across them. While the girls' jackets were worn and tattered, her clothes had a few stains on it, along with a tear around the chest and sleeves, as well as the pants, exposing bits of her skin. There were also a few scars revealed by those tears. Her weapon was resting on the wall next to her, resembling a large blade cased in a large sheathe.

The last of the girls was the youngest. She a young, silver-eyed girl dressed in a white sweater and black vest with red laces, along with a dark black skirt with tears along the hem, and a bright red cloak. The sleeves of the sweater were ripped, and the cloak was slightly worn out, having a few tears near the end and around the hood. Additionally, she wore black knee-high nylon socks and black shoes, which had dried mud stains on the soles. Her head was laying softly on the white-haired girl's lap, sleeping rather peacefully with a red rectangular object sitting in the holster on her hip.

The girls remained silent throughout the ride as they headed toward their destination. The eyes of those conscious were set in determined glares.

"Gah, my arm still hurts like hell..." Yang said in discomfort as she rubbed her arm. "You'd think Aura could do something about that."

"That's your own fault, Yang," Blake chastised. "I think you should be glad the wounds on your hands healed, though." True to her word, there were several bandages wrapped around her hands, primarily at the palms. "You should be more careful in the future. Underground fights always have Aura-piercing weapons lying around somewhere.

"Yeah...but you know what they say: The greater the risk, the greater the reward. And because of that, I was able to help us get by for quite a while."

Weiss sighed. "And we managed to scrape by a few supplies too," she said before frowning, folding her arms. "Although, are we sure we should be heading to Vale?"

"We can't risk Atlas," Blake stated. "It's too dangerous. Especially given what we've been doing lately. The only one of us that is 'technically' doing something legal is Ruby."

"Good point." Weiss sighed. Out of the four Kingdoms, the best bet they would have next is Vale...as Vacuo and Mistral are on the look out for them.

In the long years they've been traveling together, they've done a few things to warrant the attention of said kingdoms' authorities. Yang had participated in underground brawls, which usually end in bloody fights to the death, in order to both hone her abilities and obtain the lien needed to pay for living expenses. That, and a part of her enjoyed fighting...though her more guilty conscious lamented how the fights end with her opponent killed by her hand. Blake was much the same, but the need of her family was much greater. As a Faunus, she was eventually scouted by the White Fang, due to her previous jobs in thievery, though she didn't join, instead opting for accepting requests in exchange for supplies. Weiss had chosen to sing at rather shady places, and due to her appeal, she earned more than enough to pay for travel, living expenses, and food. However, half of the time, she was no longer able to perform at certain joints due to the patrons either being to handy, or just that infuriating. More often than not, it was them touching her.

No one touched her but Ruby.

Speaking of said girl, she contributed to the group by taking up Huntsmen missions. Mostly Grimm extermination. It is a way to hone her skills and fulfill a portion of her dream of becoming a Huntress like her mother was. Although...they knew that dream was no longer possible for her. After all that's happened to them, any chance of a normal life was out of the window.

All that was left...was to survive.

By any means necessary.

It was them against the world. The odds seemed stacked against them...but they had each other.

"Now that I think about it..." Blake closed her eyes. "How long has it been?"

Yang shrugged. "Dunno...we're 17 now, right?"

"I think so."

"Then...13 years now?"

"Really? Wow...it's been that long, huh...?"

"Mm..." The girls blinked, looking at Ruby, who shifted in her sleep as a smile formed on her face. "W-Weiss...can't...eat...anymore..."

The girls giggled softly at their youngest member's words. "How much you wanna bet she's dreaming about cookies?"

Blake smirked. "I think that's a given."

-scene break-

"...have you found them yet, Glynda?"

"No, I haven't...Ozpin, are you sure about this? Those girls are..."

"I am well aware..." He interjected. "However...I still believe they all possess the potential."

The blonde woman sighed, pinching the bridge. "I still think this is a bad idea," she said, voicing her concerns. "While I will admit, that they have suffered great hardship...they're dangerous. Yang Xiao Long participates in illegal fights that always end with her opponent dead, and as for Blake Belladonna..."

"They are simply doing whatever they can to survive," the Headmaster of Beacon replied. "Besides...I believe we out it both Summer and Taiyang to look after them. However, whether or not Jacques wants his daughter back is up for debate."

The female instructor remained silent. She knew the relationship between Weiss and her father was...to put in the nicest manner possible, strained to the point of irreparably fractured. Ever since the day Weiss Schnee was kidnapped, and somehow managed to escape, Jacques had made no actual attempt to try and find her. True, he had hired investigators and Huntsmen to find his lost daughter, but to this day, he had made no attempt to take her back. He wasn't even commenting on the fact that she performed in shady clubs, sometimes with her in scantily-clad clothes.

Her older sister, Winter, had tried to find her, but to no avail. Nevertheless, she never gave up in looking for her little sister. If Glynda had to make an assumption...Winter seemed to be the only family member that genuinely cared about Weiss.

As for Blake Belladonna, she didn't know much about her. Her parents were killed, and was forced into slave labor before being released, thanks to the White Fang attacking the facility. Her life from there was a mystery, but she had taken up the job of being a thief somewhere along the way, and then came to accept requests from the White Fang, in exchange for supplies.

As for Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long.. The latter's mother, Raven, disappeared after she was born. And Ruby's mother, Summer, and their father, Taiyang have been killed years ago. Their uncle, Qrow Branwen, tried gain custody of them them after hearing news of his teammates' demise. But by the time he made it to Patch, they were gone. He tried for years to look for them, but split between his duties as a Huntsman and his missions from Ozpin, his time searching on his own had been limited. He only hoped that they would cross paths during his missions.

In short, four girls had somehow come together, and traveled together...and when Ozpin learned of the troubles those girls got themselves into, he could honestly say that he was shocked beyond all belief. No child should go through what those girls have experienced for years. Fighting tooth and nail and committing crimes just to survive in this world.

Hopefully, they would be able to find a home here at Beacon...at least, that was his greatest wish.

"Have you..." Glynda looked down. "...informed Qrow?"

Ozpin sighed, eyes weary. "And what should I tell him, Glynda?" he asked her tiredly. "That his nieces are criminals? That Yang has killed people in order to get money to get by? That Ruby is hunting Grimm to make ends meat? That both of them are in constant danger?" Again, he sighed. "It has been a long time since I have found myself at a loss."

The professor didn't reply to that. She knew Ozpin had a point. Qrow would most definitely not take the news well. After all...how was he supposed to react, knowing that they had stained themselves in the blood of others?

-scene break-

"Urk...oh god...I think I'm gonna barf..." A young blonde male grunted as he leaned against the wall of the airship he was currently on. He had dark-blue eyes and his hair was rather messy. He wore a white chestplate and shoulder armor, and underneath the armor was a black hoodie with reddish-orange sleeves and an emblem hidden underneath the chestplate. He also had on blue pants with a white patch on the left knee, as well as sneakers with "left" and "right" written in black on the respective shoes' soles. Currently, he had a hand held over his mouth, his face slightly green.

He was trying to keep himself up on his feet, and trying to keep his stomach from blowing. Seriously...this was torture! How could people stand riding this thing?! He felt like he was about to blow chunks any second!

"Um..." a voice called out beside him. "Are you...alright?"

"He looks like he's gonna blow chunks!" a second voice, quite chipper he might add, squeaked. "Think he might barf all over the ship? Eeew, does that mean it's gonna stink?! Oh, wait! Maybe he might barf out rainbows! Like that girl in the comic I read! Do you barf rainbows?"

The first voice sighed. "...Nora?"

"Yes Ren?"

"Please stop bothering him."

The boy looked up, holding his mouth, to look at the two. The one with the seemingly boundless amount of energy was a girl around his age with short orange hair and blue eyes. She was dressed in a short pink skirt, pink sneakers, and a pink blouse with a black collar. Her hands were garbed in pink fingerless gloves. A heart-shaped hole was present in the area between her collarbones. The one trying to calm her down was was a boy around their age with long black hair tied in a pony tail with a pink streak on the side and pink eyes. He was dressed in a pair of white martial arts pants, green slippers, and a green martial arts tunic with black and gold edging and pink cuffs.

"H-hey," the blonde greeted, albeit with some difficult. "S-sorry, but...I'm having a..."

The black-haired teen nodded in understanding, but presented a small bottle. "Here," he said. "It should help."

The blonde slowly took the bottle in his hands. "Th-thanks..." He unscrewed the cap and drank its contents. In a matter of minutes, he felt his churning stomach begin to settle down.

However, the aftertaste was...rather disgusting. He cringed when he felt the disturbing feeling touch his tongue, causing his face to crunch up. "Tastes yucky, huh?" the orange-haired girl asked with a frown. "I hate the yucky taste!" A second later, she grinned. "That's why I bring PANCAKES!"

"Don't mind Nora," he told him. "She's been like that for as long as I can remember." He extended a hand in greeting. "I'm Ren."

"Jaune," the blonde said, accepting the hand. "Nice to meet you. So...are you two heading to Beacon too?"

"We are." Ren nodded in confirmation. "Both of us got accepted after graduating from Raijin Academy."

"Raijin?"

"Yep!" Nora grinned. "It's AWESOME! You get to break people's legs!"

Ren sighed. "What Nora means to say is...it's an advanced combat school. I suppose the best way to describe is a step below academies like Beacon or Haven."

"Ah. So it's like a school built for preparing students for the big leagues?"

"I guess you can put it like that."

"How 'bout you, Jaune?" Nora asked. "What school you'd go to?"

"Ah...oh...um..." Jaune stuttered. "I, uh...I was at Glaive Academy for a while, but...family problems came up, so I was pulled out early."

He really didn't want to admit that he never graduated from a Combat School because his family pulled him out out of concern for his safety due to bullying issues. That and his sisters nearly murdering the bullies that used to torment him. But it only served to damper his confidence as he needed his sisters to stand up for him. He didn't like the idea of them standing up for him, but he understood where they were coming from. Back when they were younger, he often looked after the younger of his older sisters from bullies, thus becoming their target. He didn't mind it, honestly...but the bullies had left a few shiners, despite his large Aura reserves.

Then again...it didn't help that those days he was so exhausted from the fights that he ended up with utter exhaustion.

"I see," Ren nodded, deciding not to pry further, much to Jaune's relief. "So, how do you think Beacon will be?"

The knight chuckled nervously. "Dunno...but I'm sure it's gonna be tough."

"Sweeeeet~!" Nora cheered with a wide smile. "Oh I can barely wait! It's going to be SO AWESOME! We'll be together again, Ren, taking down every bully in the way! We're gonna break their legs!" she paused. "Well, not, TOGETHER together! I mean, your the top student, and I'm, well, me! Ooh, do you think they have pancakes? I hope they have pancakes! OH, WAIT! What about teams?! Are we gonna be in teams?! It would be so awesome if we ended up on the same team! B-but what if we don't?! Oh, WAIT! We can bribe the headmaster-no, wait, that wouldn't work! He has the school!"

The two stared back at her as she continued to ramble on at rapid pace, leaving the blonde blinking rapidly before looking at Ren. "...does she...do this often?"

"Sadly," Ren said. "Yes, she does."

-scene break-

"Whew~!" Yang whooped as they stepped out of the Vale Tram Station, stretching out her arms. "Finally! That was getting stuffy back there in that car!"

Blake nodded silently in agreement before looking at Ruby. "How are you feeling, Ruby?" she asked. "Still sleepy?"

"Y-yea..." the silver-eyed girl nodded, rubbing one of her eyes. "Still kind of sleepy."

"Well, try to hang in there." Weiss encouraged tenderly. "We'll find a place to rest, soon."

"Yeah," Yang nodded. "Although, speaking of finding somewhere to crash," she looked over at Blake, who already took out her Scroll. "How much money do we have left over?"

"Well, based on the amount of jobs we had the past month, in addition to your winnings, we have about two thousand Lien." Blake estimated.

Weiss hummed as she put a hand to her chin. "That's not too bad," she muttered. "We could find a cheap hotel around here somewhere."

"Sounds good to me," Yang nodded. "But, before that..."

A loud growl echoed around the girls.

"...let's get something to eat. I'm hungry!"

"Yeah...I am pretty famished too."

"Great!" the blonde grinned. "Let's go find ourselves a-"

"Not so fast, Yang!" Weiss snapped, looking at Blake. "Blake, do you think you can find us a good restaurant? One that ISN'T expensive?"

The black-haired girl nodded, smiling knowingly at Yang, who groaned. "Ugh...you guys still on that?"

"Yang, you nearly blew out all of the money we had for ONE meal at that place," the snowy-haired girl spat out. "Honestly! How can anyone even afford to dine at such a place?! It's ludicrous! The dishes were far too expensive!"

"Says the former heiress."

"Emphasis on former." Weiss countered. "They've long since abandoned me..."

Yang's eyes softened when she saw the hurt look on her face. They were fully aware of Weiss' upbringing. She was the second-eldest daughter of the Schnee Company, and later named Heiress when her older sister, Winter, had chosen to become a Huntress in Atlas Academy. After she managed to get away from her captors, she later learned that her father had made no actual efforts to find her. He sent out Huntsmen and detectives, but they were completely lackluster. He never actually TRIED. It was as if he was only using her kidnapping like propaganda to bolster his image.

And that didn't sit well with her. As her hand began to shake, a familiar small hand wrapped around hers. "It's okay," Ruby told her. "C'mon, let's just get something to eat. After all," Her smile grew wide. "Your not you when your hungry!"

"...yeah...you're probably right..."

"Alright, it's settled~" Yang grinned. "Blakey, let's find ourselves the best fast-food place in town!"

Hearing this, Weiss frowned. "What is it with you and fast-food?" she questioned. "Your going to get fat."

"Please! With all the fights I get into, I'll never get fat!"

"It still isn't healthy!"

Blake sighed. "I'll be going on ahead," she said, though her words were ignored, as the two girls were already into another argument about food. "Want to come with, Ruby?"

"Sure!" Ruby nodded. Soon, they departed, leaving the brawler and former heiress to themselves, and to their argument.

 _Unfortunately...none of them knew what awaited them in this city._

 **Strays: END**

* * *

 _ **So...yeeeaaaaah, this is what I promised you guys from Colorless Memories. A darker retelling of RWBY, except our favorite team aren't in Beacon, they're either orphans or runaways, meaning we have some serious tragedy in their lives. Ruby and Yang's parents (sans Raven of course) died in a Grimm outbreak on Patch, Weiss was kidnapped by a group of people who wanted revenge on the Schnee Dust Corporation, but escaped. Blake's parents were killed by Anti-Faunus racist pigs and was thrown into slavery, until the White Fang attacked the slavers, leading to her escape. The four girls met while surviving out in the streets, and the rest is history, as they say. I'll be going more in-depth on that later on.**_

 _ **As for Jaune...has anyone heard of the Butterfly Effect? A single action can affect the outcome of a series of events. The girls wandering around the world trying to survive has changed Jaune's life considerably. He was enrolled in a combat school, but was pulled out because of bullying. He received home-schooling then, so he at least has more of a fighting chance when up against Cardin.**_

 _ **Also...some of you might have noticed that line about Ruby. I want to make this clear; this is not the same naive little girl who dreams naively of becoming a hero; this girl is a "survivor." Every one of them is. They have gone through so much shit to survive. Yang fights in the underground and killing her opponents for money, Weiss sings at shady businesses, Blake takes jobs from the White Fang, and Ruby takes on Grimm...and the occasional human being who dares to lay a finger on the people close to her. I want everyone who reads to understand...that NONE of these girls are the girls of Team RWBY you know of.**_

 ** _With that said...I hope you enjoyed this story. Shout out to Code-Emperor07, who helped me write this chapter. Couldn't have done it without ya, man._**

 ** _Until next time, guys._**


	2. Chapter 2

**Remnant...**

 **A world, left fractured, incomplete, mere pieces without a fixed point to return. It is a world that is all but the remains of a forgotten history, of a time that man has long since forgotten. Yet, within that world there are Legends. Epics. Stories scattered through time. Mankind has grown quite fond of recounting the exploits of heroes and villains, forgetting so easily that we are remnants, byproducts, of a forgotten past.**

 **Man, born from dust, was strong, wise, and resourceful, but he was born into an unforgiving world. An inevitable darkness – creatures of destruction – the creatures of Grimm – set their sights on man and all of his creations. These forces clashed, and it seemed the darkness was intent on returning man's brief existence to the void.**

 **However, even the smallest spark of hope is enough to ignite change, and in time, man's passion, resourcefulness, and ingenuity led them to the tools that would help even the odds. This power was appropriately named "Dust".**

 **Nature's wrath in hand, man lit their way through the darkness, and in the shadow's absence came strength, civilization, and most importantly, life. But even the most brilliant lights eventually flicker and die. And when they are gone... darkness will return.**

 **So you may prepare your guardians, build your monuments to a so-called "free world", but take heed... there will be no victory in strength.**

 **...but perhaps victory is in the simpler things that you've long forgotten. Things that require a smaller, more honest soul.**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

IN THIS WORD, THERE IS NO SMALL, HONEST SOUL

* * *

 _"If the cuckoo does not sing, kill it." -Nobunaga Oda_

* * *

 _ **Outsiders**_

* * *

Hei Xiong, better known as Junior, liked to think he ran both an honest bar and a good business. The club attracted some of the best clients, guys who paid for a damn good drink while asking for things that most people wouldn't even try asking about. An info broker was probably one of the least dangerous jobs in the criminal underworld...if you discounted how exactly one obtains information and the price one pays if you sell the wrong info. However, Junior wasn't like most amateurs. He'd like to think of himself as one of the best info brokers, if not THE best, in all of Vale. He had good prices, and plus him running a bar was the best cover he could think of. Flashy lights, people paying for drinks and dancing the night away...really, what more could you ask?

If you did ask him, it would probably be better security detail since all of his mooks were more or less worthless shmucks who couldn't fight worth a damn...and then it would be who exactly his clients were.

"There a reason you're here, Torchwick?" he asked while wiping a glass. "Cause if this about my boys, I swear to whatever gods there are, I'm gonna-"

A pair of gloved hands held up, stopping the throat. "Whoa, whoa, take it easy," the orange-haired man told him, grinning. Dressed in a fine pristine suit, a black bowler hat, and black pants, he had the look of a top-tier mobster. His grin didn't exactly help matters, as it only made the man even more tempted to bash his face in. If there was one person he couldn't stand, it was the same bastard who kept getting his boys beaten black and blue all over, behind bars, or buried six feet under. "Not hear to pick a fight or complain about your boys, Junior."

"Then what are you here for? Last time you came you paid me to loan you some of my men. Speaking of which...where the hell are they?"

Roman took a sharp intake of breath while his partner, a small little thing with dark brown, pink and a few strands of white hair, along with eyes that shifted between those three colors, giggled, taking a sip from her martini. "Funny story behind that," he said after a moment. "Would you believe me if I told you they pissed off this pretty little number who may or may not be a Schnee?"

"Schnee-Torchwick, the fuck did you do?!" Junior hissed, now suddenly worried for his life. The name "Schnee" carried more than enough weight to make him worried for his business. "If you pissed off Jacques or the Altesian Military, you better have not connected me to you! I am not risking my business for your own failures!"

"Technically, it was your boys who started it," Roman shrugged. "And secondly, unless the big wig actually spends time and money into looking for his long lost daughter, I doubt anyone will know." Junior frowned at this. Long lost daughter? As far as he was aware, Jacques only had two daughters and a son, and the youngest daughter was...oh. Roman saw the look on his face, and gained a smug grin. "See? Nothing to worry about...surprised I found the former heiress of that shmuck's company dressed like a hooker and singing in a shady club. Then again, not exactly the best world we live in." He took a quick drag of his cigar before leaning forward. "Anyway...I need more of your boys. Six of 'em this time."

Junior glared. "You expect me to continue handing you my boys after everything you-"

"This time, it ain't me making the request, Xiong." Roman cut him off. "My boss is the one making the order." The info broker frowned at this. His boss? Roman Torchwick was known for his independence. One does not become the kingpin of the criminal underworld with help, as it was more than likely you would be stabbed in the back. No, this was someone who earned his spot at the top through blood, sweat and tears. To hear that he was working under someone else was...interesting. "And trust me man...she's got a cute face, but piss her off, and you just might find your face burned off. So, please, do us both a favor and don't ask questions. I'll even pay double for them."

Junior briefly considered this. On one hand, it was possible he'd be sending even more of his men to the slaughter. On the other hand, he'd get more money for this. On the other, other hand...this new Boss of Roman's sounds like someone you shouldn't ever piss off...

And if it was someone that apparently Roman was terrified of...well, he really only had one option.

"My boys better be coming back alive this time, Torchwick," he sighed, taking out his scroll, swiftly imputing a few keys. Seconds later, Roman's scroll vibrated, making the mobster grin. "If not, then don't come back here. EVER."

Roman chuckled. "Pleasure doing business with ya, Junior," he tipped his hat to the man, lifting himself up from the stool and taking his leave, cane in hand. Strangely, his companion didn't leave. "Hey, Neo!" the mobster called over his shoulder. "Don't come back shit-faced, alright?! Might need ya in case tonight goes south!"

His companion, Neo, didn't offer a response. Instead, she merely smiled and waved off his concern. Roman sighed, shaking his head. In this moment of distraction, he accidentally bumped into someone. "Whoa, sorry 'bout that," the other party said. Roman quirked an eyebrow. It was a teenage girl with long blonde hair with lilac eyes, hair tied back into a ponytail. She wore a dark gray jacket with her emblem stitched onto the sleeve, and with it a orange top that exposed her midriff. She also had a small bandage underneath her left eye. "Wasn't looking."

"Don't worry about it." Roman shook his head. "I was just leaving."

Even as he left, Roman looked back at the girl, who was already moving and heading towards the bar. "What's a kid doing here?" he muttered before shrugging. Going by her clothes, she was probably a street rat of some kind. The type was more common in Vale than it was in a place like Mistral or Vacuo, which was saying something, considering the former was the central hub of all shady deals and Vacuo a lawless place where Shade Academy was the only place with any real order. Wasn't his business to inquire about street urchins anyway. He had other plans.

Meanwhile, the girl took a seat next to Neo, earning Junior's attention while he was in the back, cleaning up another glass. "Strawberry Sunrise," she requested. "No ice. Oh, and one of those little umbrellas, like what ice cream girl over here has." Neo gave the blonde a look before shrugging, going back to her martini. Junior turned and frowned.

"Aren't you a little young to be here, blondie?"

"And aren't you a bit old to have a nickname like Junior?" she shot back with a smirk, earning a giggle from Neo. "Jokes aside, I hear your the go-to guy when it comes to info, right?"

"I might be...what's it to you, blondie?" Junior questioned. The way she knew he was an info broker told him a lot. This girl had ties to the underworld of some type. Until he figured out what, he'd play this defensively.

The girl smirked. "There's a place I'm looking for. Someplace where, if you got a good pair of fists, you can earn a LOT of lien."

The man narrowed his eyes. Was this girl an underground fighter? Doesn't she know that people get killed in those areas on a daily basis? Then again...looking at her hands, which were somewhat wrapped in bandages, he could tell she must have fought in them before. "Why are you looking for trouble, kid?" he asked. Just because his line of work often had him do a lot of bad things didn't mean he was heartless. He was kind enough to give Melanie and her sister Militia a place here when they ran away from home, and he could honestly say he was starting to end up turning out like some kind of father figure of sorts...not that he would admit it, anyway. He did have a black job. "You do realize what happens in those rings, right?"

"Ain't my first rodeo," the girl answered. "Fought in one back in Mistral. Pay was good...speaking of pay, how's the cash for the one here in Vale?"

Junior shook his head. Looks like the kid was aware of what went on...it was her funeral, then. "Depends on who you're up against," he told her, taking out his Scroll and inputting a few keys while the girl sent him her contact ID. "The place you're looking for is the Rat's Nest. Has a leaderboard. Take on the guy with the number one spot, you earn 100,000 Lien. Keep the spot for a week, get 500,000." Once the info was sent, he slipped the scroll back into his pocket and sighed, ignoring the look of excitement on her face. "Look, blondie, that place is dangerous. Why're even risking your life with this stunt?"

The girl gave a grin. "That's for me to know," she wagged a finger at him. "And for you to find out, old man~" She then took her leave, though she paused and looked over her shoulder. "Oh, and next time, I definitely want that Strawberry Sunrise!" Junior groaned, shaking his head as she left. Seriously, what is it with kids these days?

Unknown to either, Neo was eyeing the blonde with keen interest, a mysterious smile on her face.

* * *

 **-Chapter 2: Ears to the Ground-**

"Didn't think you would be in Vale. You move fast, Belladonna."

"Comes with the perks of moving around so frequently, Adam."

Out on the outskirts of the warehouse district, owned by the White Fang in Vale, the Cat Faunus spoke with Adam Taurus in regards to a job. Normally, it would be Blake requesting a job for supplies and such, though she would occasionally receive an invite from the man. The meeting was of the latter. Strangely, the man looked tense, as did his scouts, which constantly looked around in paranoia. Blake furrowed a brow, wondering what has them so spooked before she turned back to Adam, who was leaning against the wall. "So, why the sudden call?" she asked curiously. "You usually don't ask me for favors. If this is about asking me to join, I've already told you. My family is more important."

"So you've told me," Adam said, taking a bite out of a ration he had in his hand. "Even if they're humans. One of them a Schnee, no less."

Blake narrowed her eyes. "Formerly," she corrected him. "Her father, as you could tell, hasn't exactly made finding her a priority. As far as I'm concerned, she's just Weiss. Also, who my family is, quite frankly, is not any of your business."

"True, true..." Adam nodded. He was aware of what Jacques Schnee did. He sold out his youngest daughter and made no effort to truly recover her in order to bolster his reputation. He knew humans were scum...but Jacques Schnee is at the top of his shit list for doing something like that to his own flesh and blood. He is a worthless excuse for a father, and living being in general.

Even if the girl was a Schnee...he supposed he could give her some benefit of a doubt. For a human.

"At any rate, I didn't call you here to argue," he shook his head. "I have a job for you."

"And what do you need?" Blake asked, wanting to get down to business.

Adam pushed himself off the wall, taking a seat on the chair opposing her. "After our last job, a woman came to our camp," he told her. "Said she wanted our cooperation. She was willing to offer resources: dust, weapons, information - everything the White Fang could need. The problem...was that she was human." Blake frowned. A human, asking cooperation from the White Fang? That was interesting. She learned forward. "I refused...and the next day, she came back and slaughtered most of my men. The message was clear: we were either with or against her. I wasn't about to let my brothers and sisters be butchered, so I accepted. The problem is that our new 'business' partner has a need-to-know mindset, and so far, she's told us nothing. Not a shred of information. Moreover, she has us working with Roman Torchwick."

"Torchwick?" Blake's eyes widened. "The king of the criminal underworld? How'd she get him on board?"

"Probably the same way she did with us," Adam growled. "Because a few days after I informed Leader, he ordered us to work with that woman to the best of our abilities."

The girl frowned. "In other words...she even has the leader of the White Fang's approval," she said, growing more interested. A woman capable of getting not only receiving cooperation from Khan and Torchwick, but also besting Adam and his group? That was a feat, in of itself. "Who in the world are you working with?"

"Your target," he answered, taking out a folder from the inside of his jacket and handing it to her. She opened it up, and inside was a documented report, along with a photograph of a woman with black hair and gold eyes wearing a red dress. "Cinder Fall. I want you to eliminate her."

The Faunus girl's eyes widened before snapping up to meet his. He wants her...to eliminate her? His now new boss, the very one who slaughtered most of his subordinates? "...your men got their asses handed to them by this woman," she said slowly. "And you're expecting me to kill someone like that?"

"Elimination can mean a lot of things, Belladonna," he replied. "You don't have to kill her, simply find some way to get rid of her. Preferably a way that ends with her either six feet under, or worse. Killing is one option...but I've seen what she could do. And I lost. So that's probably not the best idea." That...wasn't really a helpful explanation. Not kill her, but put her six feet under or worse? That's a contradiction. Just what was she supposed to do? Cripple her or something? "I know, I'm asking you a lot," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "But I'm willing to offer you as much as you need."

Now THAT got her attention...

"However much I need?" she asked. "You do realize I could be asking a lot."

Adam scoffed. "If I have to give up all of our resources to get rid of Cinder, so be it," he said. "Just make sure she's out of the picture. I am not going to allow my brothers and sisters be ordered around by some human." Blake weighed her options. This Cinder Fall sounded dangerous...but the payoff would be quite impressive. If she managed to get rid of her, she'd had enough resources to help her family. Maybe even enough to start over. A new life...like she and Yang talked about. She then closed the file, and gave a nod. Adam smirked. "Good."

"How much information do you have on her?"

"Not much, sadly," he said as he went over some of the information in the document he handed her. "Other than that she has contacts that can get her some of the best people in the underworld, if Roman Torchwick is any indication. She would also need to have some contacts who are high up to get the resources she's providing, so probably people of influence. She even has access to the trade routes of every SDC cargo freighter in the entire Kingdom. As to who she is or where she's from is anyone's guess. The only thing we know, and its iffy info at best, is that she's probably from Mistral of Vacuo. Those are the only places where she could be persuasive and powerful enough to get her hands on this."

"I see..." Blake sighed. "And where should I start?"

"Torchwick, probably," Adam answered. "He was the first person she talked to. One of her lapdogs, a boy named Mercury Black, introduced the two of them from the sounds of it."

She quirked an eyebrow. "Black?" she inquired. "If I remember right, wasn't there an assassin named Marcus Black?"

"Son, or someone related to him. Word is, Marcus and Roman ran together for a few jobs. He's the reason why everyone fears and respects the name of Roman Torchwick in Vale."

"So, why didn't she make contact with Marcus Black instead of Mercury?"

"The word is...she tried. But Mercury killed him."

Blake's eyes widened. "You're kidding."

"Would explain why the kid's with her and not the man himself," he shrugged. "At any rate, Roman is probably your best place to start. About two months back, he went to a bar owned by Hei Xiong, the best info broker in the kingdom. If you go there, maybe you'll find something."

"Alright then," she said as she tucked the file away in her bag. As she stood, she made a move to leave, though she paused and looked over her shoulder. "By the way...about that favor I asked about."

Adam sighed, shaking his head. "No word so far," he answered. "Whoever ordered the hit on Ghira Belladonna, they went off the grid. It's gonna take some time." Blake fell silent at that. Others wouldn't see it, but he saw her hands ball into fists, shaking with rage. "...he was a good man. He didn't deserve what happened."

"...no," she hissed, voice laced with venom. "He didn't." With that, she took her leave, soon vanishing into the shadows.

* * *

Back at the motel where Ruby and Weiss remained while the two other girls of the group went out for their daily routines, the little reaper was cuddled up next to Weiss, who was reading a book, patiently awaiting her sisters to return. It had been a little over an hour since they left, though it was hardly unusual. After all, trying to get information about some of the more...darker aspects of the city took time. Here, it was expected. Besides, it wasn't all bad. She got time to spend with Ruby as a result. She looked down, and smiled, ruffling the little girl's hair, who shifted under the movement, though otherwise mewled. For a moment, Weiss wondered if Ruby was the Cat Faunus and not Blake.

Nevertheless, she smiled and leaned in to kiss her forehead.

"Yo!" The door slammed open, startling the former Schnee, revealing Yang Xiao Long with a wide grin. "The dragon is in the house! You miss me, Snow Queen?"

Weiss scowled. "Must you be so loud?" she hissed. "Ruby's trying to sleep!"

"Sorry, sorry..." Yang apologized in a softer tone of voice. "But good news! I got a job!"

Weiss gave her a flat stare. "...and by job, you mean underground fighting."

"It sounds so boring when you call it that, though!" the blonde brawler sighed, shaking her head. She then looked at Ruby, and looked at Weiss, who gave her a questioning look. "...was I interrupting a moment? I can, like, come back later you know."

The girl knew what Yang was implying and found her face a bit flushed. "N-no!" she said, embarrassed. "Gods, Yang! We haven't done anything like that! I'm not like you or Blake who mate like animals!"

"We don't mate, we just get rough with each other," Yang rebuked. "Big difference."

"What that girl sees in you, I'll never know."

"What can I say? The kitty cat loves me..."

"Call me that again, Yang," Blake spoke up behind her. "And I'll get you more intimate with Gambol Shroud." Yang let out a yelp, whirling around to find the Faunus in question, standing in the middle of the doorway. "Sorry I'm late. Had to discuss a few things with Adam about my new job."

"Its fine," Weiss said. "So, what does the White Fang want you to do now?"

"Assassination mission. He wants me to take out this human who's actually the new boss of Roman Torchwick and him."

Weiss stared at her with large eyes. "...I'm sorry, what?" she asked, stupefied. "You're telling me someone who's human is running the White Fang, and she has Torchwick under them?"

"Yep," she said with a nod. "And she's strong enough to beat Adam Taurus and his team. Needless to say, the pay is going to be good...assuming I actually manage to stay alive."

"But don't cats have nine lives?" Yang asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Besides, you got the dragon with you! You'll be fine!"

"Thanks, Yang...but even then, I'm not sure if we'll be enough to kill her."

"Yeah, so?"

Weiss couldn't help but look at her in curiousness, giving a shake of the head as to how she was even capable of being so cheerful. Then again...they made it this far by looking on in hope and by trusting one another. Maybe that's why Yang was never so worried. "Still," she muttered. "Who would be powerful enough to do all of that?"

"Mn..."

"Oh," Weiss looked down, seeing Ruby stir, stifling a yawn. "Had a nice nap, Ruby?"

"Yeah...what were we talking about...?" The youngest girl of the group asked while rubbing her eye.

"Eh, just job related stuff," Yang said. "Blake having a new mark, me getting back into the ring. The usual. How you feeling, short stuff?"

"Sleepy..." She yawned. "...and hungry."

The three girls shook their heads. "Alright, let's run by a good restaurant," Yang said. Weiss shot her a look. "Relax, it ain't one of the fancy one's. I saw this cool burger joint on my way to Junior's pad. Food looked good."

"Yay! Food!" Ruby cheered in glee.

It was so easy to please her. Then again, maybe that was just who Ruby was. Besides, they really didn't want to see what she would be like if she was hungry.

* * *

The Bulkhead had arrived at its destination. As soon as it did, the hyperactive girl that was called Nora Valkyrie dashed forward as the first student to exit it, looking around excitedly. "Beacon~ Beacon~" she sung jovially, earning more than a few stares from the other students as they disembarked. "Beacon Academy~ YAY!"

"Wow," Jaune marveled at her. "She's really..."

Ren chuckled. "I know," he said. "Energetic. One of many words one could use to describe her."

"I was going to say hyper, but energetic works too..." Jaune replied, thankful they were back on solid ground.

He was grateful that he had not barfed on the way here, and was even more thankful for Ren in giving him something that calmed his stomach down. Ah, sweet sweet merciful ground. Looking around, the blonde knight marveled at the academy before him. A grand road stretched out, lined by trees with an impressive statue depicting two warriors atop a rock, swords drawn while a Grimm cowered beneath it. As for Beacon Academy itself...it was like an imposing castle, standing tall and proud to those who were willing to set foot into it. "Wow," he breathed. "Glaive Academy was big...but its got nothing on this."

"I agree." Ren nodded. "The pictures of Beacon could not do it justice...it is simply gargantuan."

"It's like a castle~" Nora gushed. "Ren, Ren! Let's go raid the cafeteria! I hunger!"

Jaune balked. "W-wait, you ate not too minutes ago!" he said, staring at her as if she were an anomaly before turning to Ren with a questionable look. "Speaking of which, why did you have pancakes on you?"

"Nora's food rations," he answered with a sigh. "For some reason, she REALLY likes pancakes. And trust me, you don't want to see what she's like if she hasn't had at least one pancake a day." He then turned to his childhood friend. "Nora, do you even know where it is?"

The orange-haired girl grinned. "Nope!"

Ren sighed for the umpteenth time that day. "...alright...lets go look..."

"Yay!" With an excited cheer, Nora grabbed the arms of Ren and Jaune before hurrying off somewhere.

"W-wait! Me too?!"

"Of course!"

The blonde knight would have asked why, but then he remembered something his mother once said: Friends are strangers you just haven't met yet. Going by that line of thinking, Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie were probably the first friends he made here...though he never expected to make a friend as hyperactive as Nora. Good lord, he didn't dare imagine what she was like on coffee or any sort of caffeine. As he thought this, however, a thought struck him.

"Wait, don't we have to go to the Introduction Ceremony first?!"

Like magic words - Alakazam! - Nora suddenly came to a halt. Since she went at top speed, barreling forward like a maniac, she accidentally lost her grip over the two and were promptly sent flying. Ren hit the ground in a low tumble, his back and legs hanging in the air before falling. Jaune was...less fortunate as he found himself rolling through the ground and slammed straight into a tree. His body lingered on the bark for a few seconds before falling back to the ground in a heap, groaning. He slowly rose, only to be buried in a pile of apricots that suddenly came down, likely as a result of him smacking into the tree. A few seconds later, his head popped out, shaking it to shrug off the dizziness that plagued him from being bombarded with fruit.

"...ow." was all he said.

"Are you alright?" a feminine voice called next to him. "That looked like it hurt." The dazed teen turned to his right and paused upon seeing the hand held out to him in assistance. His eyes moved up to the owner of the limb, and paused as his vision focused.

It was a girl with vibrant red hair, tied back into a ponytail, and illustrious green eyes. She wore light-green eyeshadow around the far upper corners of her eyes. Compared to most girls, she was quite tall, and somewhat muscular going by her physique. Her top consisted of two layers. The top layer was a light-brown, strapless top split divided vertically with some bronze patterns. It seemed be leather or stiff metal, having some kind of riveting or small, round embroidery on the sides, which might have also been heavy stitching. The bottom layer was a low bronze V-neck.

The girl wore an elastic, black, A-line miniskirt and brown opera-length gloves on both arms, in addition to a red ankle-length drapery that appeared to be wrapped around her skirt. There was a small circular bronze plate by her right hip opposite two pouches with both connected to a belt. The plate bore a "shield and spear" emblem. She wore a bronze circlet headpiece that could be seen above her ear and under her bangs. A pair of small, green, teardrop-shaped emeralds hanged from her circlet on thin chains. She also sported a large bronze gorget around her neck, and a bronze bracelet on the upper half of her left arm.

She also had elaborate bronze greaves that started below her mid-thigh, continuing downwards into her boots and a pair of cuisses that began mid-thigh and ending slightly above her knees. She also donned a bronze bracer on top of the sleeve on her left arm. She wore high-heeled boots with a brown color and bronze trim, matching her skirt and sleeves, and reached up to mid-calf.

Needless to say...the girl was a ten out of ten perfect knockout.

"Are you okay?" She repeated once more, concerned if he hit his head somewhere.

"Y-yeah...I'm okay...a bit dazed, but fine..." Jaune shook his head and accepted the hand. With a tug, he was pulled out of the pile of apricots and back to his feet. "Thanks..." Jaune nodded, brushing off any apricots that got stuck in his armor.

The red-haired girl smiled. "It was no problem at all," she assured him before she looked over to Nora, who looked to be having a panic attack. "By the by...is your friend alright?"

"Oh no, what do we do?!" Nora cried, holding her head with a face that made her look like a deer in headlights. "This is bad! There's food at the cafeteria, but we have to attend the opening ceremony! What do we do?! What do we do?!"

Ren groaned, picking himself off the floor. "Nora," he said calmly. "Calm down. It isn't the end of the world. We can visit the cafeteria after the ceremony."

"Yay! We're saved!" Nora cheered, her attitude turning a complete 180. She dashed over, grabbed Ren's hand, and lifted him into the air.

As Ren found his feet back on the ground, he gave the excitable girl another sigh, shaking his head. Truly, at times, he felt like he was dealing with a child. Then again, he wouldn't trade Nora out for anyone. He turned back to Jaune, noticing the girl next to him. "Sorry you had to see that," he apologized. "She can be a bit eccentric at times."

"Yeah...I think I've gotten used to it at this point. Truth be told, she kinda reminds me of one of my sisters..."

Ren quirked an eyebrow while Nora looked excited. "Oooh, you have a Nora too~?"

"W-well, not a Nora per say," Jaune rubbed the back of his neck. "But someone like her." He then turned to the girl next to him. "I-I'm Jaune, by the way. Jaune Arc. This is Nora and Ren."

"Nice to meet the three of you." She bowed politely. "My name is Pyrrha Nikos."

"Nice to meet you too!" Nora chirped before pausing. She developed a curious look as she leaned froward, inspecting her face. "Say...you look...really familiar."

Pyrrha flinched and internally sighed. So, even here she was recognized. Not like she already knew that. A few people had already greeted her respectfully, knowing who she was. Even still, she held the hope that there would be at least one person at Beacon who didn't know her. She wanted the chance to be seen as perfectly normal, yet somehow that chance was robbed of her as well. As Jaune leaned in, inspecting her as well while Ren maintained his distance, she awaited for the fateful question.

After a minute, the two spoke. "Oh my god..." Nora whispered. "Y-you...YOU'RE THE GIRL ON THE PUMPKIN PETE BOXES!"

 _'...wait, what?'_

"Hoh...that's you!" Jaune gasped in amazement. "Wow! I can't believe it! They usually only do that for star athletes and cartoon characters!"

Pyrrha blinked, thrown for an utter loop. That...that's where they recognized her from? The cereal box? Without knowing it, a smile formed on her face. "Y-yes," she answered after a moment. "Sadly, the cereal isn't very good for you."

* * *

The four arrived at the entrance hall, and to their surprise, the entire auditorium was packed. Several hundreds of students lined the halls, chatting away and waiting anxiously for the opening ceremony to begin. "So many people," Jaune marveled. "I mean, I knew there was going to be a lot of people attending Beacon, but this?" he gestured to the size of the crowd. "A-and these are all first-years, like us?!"

"Beacon Academy is quite prestigious," Pyrrha reminded him. "We should find some seats before the Headmaster begins his speech."

"Not sure if we can..." Ren stated as he peered around the room. "It seems pretty packed.

"Found some!" Nora announced. The three blinked, looking over to near the center of the crowd, standing atop the afformentioned seats while waving her arms. "Here, here!"

"Wh-what the?!" Jaune snapped his head to where Nora was standing before, then to where she was now. "How did she...?" Just how did she get over there so quickly?

Ren shook his head. "Trust me," he told him. "You'll get used to it."

Jaune and Pyrrha looked at one another, before eventually shrugging and rejoining the hyperactive ginger. They had to push their way through the crowds, but they managed to reach Nora and take their seats. In that time, they began to discuss their own conversations. "So, Ren," Pyrrha looked at the young teen. "What school did you go to?"

"Raijin," he answered. "It was a lot like Beacon, though more along the lines of Sanctum and Signal from Mistral and Vale respectively. It was small, but it offered quite a lot."

"Ah, I know of it. I pondered going there for a bit, but my parents settled on Sanctum instead. Did Nora go as well?"

Nora grinned. "Yep!" she said. "I was always on the teachers minds when I came into the classroom! I was their favorite!"

"Favorite troublemaker," Ren whispered into Jaune's ear. "They never let her near a chemistry set when we were doing experiments."

"Why?" Jaune asked back. "What she do?"

"Let's just say there was a lot of explosions."

"It was AWESOME!" Nora exploded, waving her arms around. "We got to break knees, eat pancakes all day, kick butt, break knees and break knees!"

Ren sighed. "Nora, you said 'break knees' three times," he told her. "Also, we didn't eat pancakes all day. Just every once in a while. Its rather unhealthy for you."

"Nonsense, Ren! There's never such a thing as too much pancakes!"

Pyrrha cocked her head. "...is that all she eats?"

"I hope not," Jaune muttered. "Otherwise, that waist isn't gonna stay slim for long." The hyper girl shot Jaune a look, and immediately realized what he just blurted. out. Blushing, he began to laugh nervously. "S-sorry, I didn't mean to stare! I-I mean-"

"Aw, its nice of you to say that, Jauney!" the girl giggled. "Look all you want! ...just don't touch~ This is reserved for my bestest friend!"

The red-haired girl sweatdropped. That...wasn't even a real word. Then the meaning behind her words registered, and blushed. "Oh my...does that mean you and Ren are-"

"NO!" She shook her head quickly. "We're together...but not, together-together..."

The two stared at the girl while Ren remained stone-faced, choosing the wise decision to take out a small booklet and open it up. Jaune and Pyrrha looked at one another. The red face and quick denial was pretty much a sure sign that the girl had feelings for Ren, though seemed quite adament about wanting the relationship to remain that way...or perhaps it was denial of her own feelings. Either way, the girl was helplessly in love. It was...cute. Jaune wished he knew the feeling. There was no shortage of girls back home, but he also didn't want to suffer the embarrassment that would bombard him courtesy of his parents and his sisters. He was convinced they were also slightly insane.

What kind of parents want their only son to have children at his age for crying out loud?!

Eventually, the speakers cracked to life, signalling that the entrance ceremony was about to begin. Striding towards the podium was a middle-aged man with light gray hair and brown eyes, a pair of dark glasses sitting atop his nose while dressed in a black suit. A cane was held in one hand, and a mug in the other. "Welcome, one and all," the man greeted as he spoke into the microphone. Everyone quieted down, listening to him. "My name is Ozpin, Professor and Headmaster of Beacon Academy. First of all, I would like to congratulate those of you who stand here before me, having chosen to take up arms in our otherwise dangerous world. Regardless of where you may be: Atlas, Vacuo or Mistral, you are more than welcome."

There was a brief pause as he took a sip of his mug before resuming. "As you all know already, the task of a Huntsman and Huntress is, without question, the safety of the people. Defending our world from the dark threat that is the Creatures of Grimm. For years, they had protected us, stood by us, and continuously honed their skills. Steps that all of you intend to follow." The crowd ushered into a low, excited whisper. So far, the man was pretty much speaking what they had all thought and intended. "Of course, some have taken the career for other reasons. Pursuit of knowledge and strength, the excitement and danger, and of course the opportunity to explore new horizons."

Yet again, another pause. Unlike before, however, it wasn't to take a sip of his coffee. Rather, he closed his eyes, as if gathering his thoughts before he spoke again...and brought all of that chatter to a screeching halt.

"...unfortunately, you had best cast aside those ideals right here and now."

Now _that_ part of the speech drew stunned reactions from the students. He was telling them to discard their ideals to be Huntsmen?!

"Many desired to become Huntsmen for many of these things...only to face the crushing truth of reality. To be a Huntsmen is not solely to achieve ambitions and adventure. It is a cruel line of work where your very life is put to risk every day. You will face hardships, tragedies, and perils in this line of work..." Some had noticed that the hand holding his cane was quivering. "Years ago, I knew two exceptionable...INCREDIBLE individuals. Like you, they were once mere students in these halls, but they became one of the best Huntsmen and Huntresses that Beacon had ever had the pleasure of molding. However...reality is far more cruel than you could possibly imagine. That is why, I advise you all to remember this one fact as you train here, for whatever reason you have chosen to attend Beacon."

Again, another pause, and at the end of it, a powerful message.

"Remember that you are mortal: remember that you will one day die."

Without anything more to say, Ozpin walked off the stage, letting his words to sink in. Afterward, Glynda Goodwitch stepped up to speak next. "Initiation will begin tomorrow," she said to them. "Be vigilant, and be ready. You will gather in the ballroom tonight." After that, she walked off the stag as well, following Ozpin. All that were left were students who were letting the words of their headmaster sink into their heads.

"Um...okay," Jaune shifted in his seat, vastly uncomfortable. "That was a...warm welcome." He never would've thought the Headmasters first words to his students were they they were going to die...what cheerful stuff...

"He must have been close to the Huntsmen he mentioned," Pyrrha said. The students were beginning to disperse from the auditorium, all with varying and conflicting emotions. "I wonder who they might have been?"

"He was right, however," Ren told them, a concerned frown over his face. "This job comes with its own danger. Not just Grimm, but other threats as well."

Nora frowned. "I don't like it," she said in disapproval. "Too heavy stuff on our first day."

"No kidding," Jaune said, agreeing with her. He would have thought the speech would be more opening and inspiring, not bleak like what they just heard. "Well, I guess we head to the ballroom then. By the way, what do you guys think Initiation will be like?"

"If it's anything like back at Raijin Academy...I would have to say a practical exam." Ren offered.

"Sanctum was like that as well. We were to fight one another in tournament style matches and judged by our performance." Pyrrha stated.

Jaune groaned. "Gah, seriously?" he said. Now, don't get him wrong, he was capable in a fight. His teacher, however questionable the man was, had made damn sure of that...but he disliked the idea of fighting someone. Grimm were easy depending on what you were fighting. If it was the lesser ones, they were stupid and had a one-track mind. Older and stronger ones less so. But a human being? They could think, adapt, fight harder. "Man...I hope not."

"Why's that?" Pyrrha inquired. "Actually, now that I think about it, what academy did you train at, Jaune?"

"Glaive, but I was pulled out because of...family stuff," he answered hesitantly. "So I don't know what my school did. But I hate fighting other people, if only because its harder than fighting Grimm."

"Well, that is to be expected. Unlike the Grimm, we have souls, Aura, Semblances, and the ability to adapt and learn." Pyrrha said.

"Exactly..." Jaune nodded. "Besides...I don't really want to hurt anyone if I could help it..."

* * *

Roman looked at his target, which was less than a meter across the street from him. Six boys, all dressed in black and red, with machetes and guns at the ready, were behind him, looking at anyone who even so much as glanced at them funny threateningly. It wasn't discrete, but who cared? He owned this side of town. Anything he does, the police ignores if they know whats good for them. Besides, it was just some Dust shop on the ass end of town. No one would care. "Easy pickings," he mumbled to himself as he twirled his cane around. With a flick of the wrist, he and Junior's boys moved towards the store. Anyone with half a brain was quick to get out of the way. A small glance inside the store and found that there was no one inside, which was a bit of a letdown. A storeowner wasn't much of an audience.

Then again, probably for the best. If someone played hero, well...Neo would be happy to give them a 'hero's welcome.' Speaking of which, where was that girl anyway? Don't tell him she went and got shit-faced. If she did, so help him...

He didn't dwell on it any further. Instead, he opened the door and stepped inside the Dust shop, Junior's men following him. The owner, a wrinkly old man, stared at him in fright, backing away from the counter. Roman smiled disarmingly as he moved to the counter, propping his elbow on it. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a Dust store, this late at night?" he asked. "Let me tell you, it is a pain in the ass."

"P-please," the old man begged. "Take whatever you want and go!"

"Shush shush, we're not here for your money," Roman assured him before turning to his mooks. "Grab the Dust. All of it. I find even a speck of it left behind, I'll let Neo take care of you."

"Yes sir!" The men immediately got to work, not wanting to be on the receiving end of the miniature girl's wrath. Hey, there was a reason why the girl was Roman's right-hand man. And it sure as hell wasn't because she looked pretty. Two men went up to the tubes, undoing the caps and draining the liquid Dust supply while two other boys began to take the crystals from the glass containers. The remaining grunts sweeped the walls, though one came across a girl at the back of the store, apparently with headphones on and a tattered red cloak, reading some kind of magazine. "Hey," he called. only to be ignored. Scowling, the man yelled louder. "Hey! I'm talking to you, ya brat!"

"Oi, what's with the ruckus?" Roman demanded, peeking over. Noticing the kid, he quirked an eyebrow. A kid...of course. He gave a small sigh. While he wanted an audience, this wasn't the kind he had in mind. Kids were no fun whatsoever. "Leave her alone, ya doofus. Besides, she doesn't look like she has much."

"But boss-"

"Do you really think a kid has anything worth stealing?" He received no response. "Yeah, thought so. Get back to work."

"...Yes sir..." The man relented. He took one last look at the girl before going off to steal Dust from one of the dispensers.

Roman shook his head. "Amateurs, I swear..."

* * *

 _'Well, at least they left me alone,'_ Ruby thought, looking at the grumpy man behind her as he secured the Dust vials from the wall. While normally, her passionate drive as a result of her dream to become a Huntress would want her to stop this, she saw no reason to. The store owner hadn't done anything for her or her family, so why bother? Besides, she didn't want to get in trouble. If Weiss found out that she got into a fight with the mafia of all people...

She shuddered, the image of that imposing knight construct born from her Semblance burned into her mind. To this day, it amazed and scared her that she was able to summon something like THAT. Then again, Yang was just as bad, but she let her off with a scolding while she would proceed to find the ones who fought with her.

At any rate, she would leave the men to do their business while she read the latest weapons catalogue. Some of the weapon mods listed were pretty fracking expensive, but if she saved up enough lien, she could buy them and soup up her Crescent Rose. She waits for that day to come. Until then, she'd need to find some Hunting jobs to wrack up some dough.

As she perused further, she felt the store shake, and overheard what sounded like an explosion. She looked over her shoulder, seeing the thugs rush out to try and fight someone. She could barely make out what appeared to be green hair and a shotgun of some kind, but she otherwise couldn't define them. Definitely a guy though.

"What's going on?"

* * *

All Bartholomew Oobleck wanted was a peaceful night given that tomorrow would be Initiation...and instead here he was, spending his evening dealing with the infamous Roman Torchwick and friends rather than at his favorite cafe. "I'm truly getting too old for this," the otherwise eccentric history professor remarked as he ducked underneath a swing of a machete and swept the man right under his feet with a low kick, grabbing his leg and tossing him at his comrade before twirling his back-up weapon around and shooting the thug behind him in the chest, stunning him and leaving him open for a roundhouse kick straight to the chest, knocking him flat to the floor. He turned to find one of the fallen thugs back on their feet, resuming to head back into the fray. Once more, the man sighed. "And far too late without a good cup of coffee to boot."

Oh, he wished he hadn't left his spare thermos at home. He had run out of his favorite beverage an hour or so ago, and had been waiting to go to the cafe for a refill. Now he was caught up in dealing with these hooligans. And this year was HIS turn to give the students a proper tour of Beacon. Not a good night.

Well, no use crying over spilled coffee. He had a criminal to take down, as per his duty as a Huntsman. With that in mind, he pumped his shotgun, removing the low-grade Gravity Dust bullets from the chamber and replacing it with new rounds. Specifically, med-grade Ice Dust bullets. It was the best choice if one wanted to put these guys on ice (no pun intended). One thug tried to rush him up front, sword raised. Oobleck, promptly, aimed his shotgun right in his face and opened fire.

A frigid burst of energy shot out of the muzzle and froze the man's face in a solid block of ice. The man fell on his knees and collapsed from the sudden cold shutdown.

"Sit tight for a moment, won't you old fellow?" Oobleck told him, not that he could hear, before turning towards the man's associates. Two came rushing up on either side. He was about to take them on when he felt someone rush up behind him and wrap their arms around him. Turning, he found that it was the thug he shot earlier with the last of his Gravity Dust rounds. Shaking his head, he gave his feet a light bounce before he hopped up, flipping around and escaping the man's grasp and landing behind him, letting off a round in his back, causing him to crash into his buddies. They all tumbled down to the ground, and before they could get up, Oobleck fired off a couple of rounds into them.

In the next moment, they were pinned to the floor, limbs frozen. The history teacher looked up, finding one last grunt to deal with. He looked at his comrades, then back at Oobleck. His comrades. Oobleck. Then he made the smart decision by ramming his fist into his face, knocking him out instantly and hitting the ground.

"Smart move," Oobleck said in approval before he turned to Roman, who cursed his misfortune. The teacher narrowed his eyes at the mobster, adjusting his spectacles. "Now then, Mr. Torchwick, you have one of two options. Resist and force my hand, or give yourself up willingly. Please do choose the second, I'd rather not waste any more of my night without a good cup of coffee."

"Dammit," Roman muttered under his breath, readying his cane. "Not the night I had in mind...where's Neo when you need her?"

He really wished his partner didn't choose tonight of all nights to get wasted...But how was he to know that a Huntsman would be nearby? Oh well. No use crying over spilled milk now...

However, just as he prepared to fight off the Huntsman, the unexpected happened. The windows of the Dust shop shattered apart as a red blur shot forward, slamming into Oobleck. The man had managed to defend himself against the sudden new appearance, blocking its advance with his shotgun, only to find the muzzle of a weapon's barrel aimed right at his face.

"Oh dear."

The newcomer pulled the trigger. The high-velocity sniper round impacted him square in the face, taking out a large portion of his Aura. He would DEFINITELY be feeling that one in the morning. He was thrown back from the force of the blast before rolling to a stop.

Groaning from feeling the burst of pain, and also the destruction of his favorite pair of glasses, he looked up. To his shock, it was a young girl, no older than fifteen going by physique and stature alone. She wore a white sweater and black vest with red laces, along with a dark black skirt with tears along the hem, and a bright red, tattered cloak. The sleeves of the sweater were ripped, and the cloak was slightly worn out, having a few tears near the end and around the hood. Additionally, she wore black knee-high nylon socks and black shoes, which had dried mud stains on the soles. The hood of the cloak was drawn over her face, so he couldn't make out the upper half of her face. She was in a crouching position, holding her weapon as it changed shape, gears whirling and clicks heard as pieces of it began to extend and expand, forming into a long, crimson red scythe.

His mind was racing several miles per second. Just what was a girl doing here? In the middle of an armed robbery? Also, why did she attack him? Was she an accomplice of Torchwick?!

As for Roman, he was equally as surprised. That girl was definitely the same one that one of his men tried to mug...so why was she helping him? Wait, why was he even thinking about this? He had more important things to do! "Hate to ask you this, Red," he said. "But think you can handle the old geezer here? I got prior engagements."

He received no verbal response. Instead, she only gave a nod. A second later, she shot forward like a bullet, leaving behind a trail of bloody red rose petals, scythe trailing behind her.

The mobster boss hummed in approval. A girl who could kick ass and obeyed instructions? Now if he had time, he'd ask if she'd like to work for him. He then looked to the men Junior loaned him. The girl definitely would be better help than them. Choosing to debate more about this later, he took off. "Thanks, Red!"

Oobleck didn't even have the chance to chase after the man, as "Red" came at him fast. He defended in time, using his shotgun to block against the scythe's strike before knocking it away, taking aim at the girl, only to miss as she darted away, leaving behind more bloody red petals before she reappeared, scythe coming around. Oobleck managed to dodge, deflecting the attack by shooting at the shaft, causing its projected path to turn and embed the scythe into the ground. He then took aim again, this time to try and stop the girl, only to find the heel of her boot smashing into his jaw.

He backpedaled and nursed his jaw. He reoriented himself only to be greeted by another sniper shot to the chest. This one knocked him flat on his back, and his shotgun sliding out of his grasp. He winced from the pain of hitting the ground hard, but found himself panicking when he heard the girl let out a cry, tearing her scythe out from the ground, ripping apart the concrete and raising it overhead with the intent of bringing it down upon him.

Reacting quickly, Oobleck rolled away from the point of impact. The moment he was out of harm's way, the tip of the scythe stabbed into the spot where he once was. The girl gave a low growl as she pulled her scythe out again, albeit with some difficulty. The history professor was quick to retrieve his fallen shotgun and return to his fighting stance, all the while staring down a girl who glared at him beneath the hood. He could faintly see her eyes: pools of silver, pupils sharpened into daggers that were aimed at him.

His body froze upon seeing those eyes. Those were the same eyes as a friend, comrade, and former classmate he had, who perished long ago...minus the glare. There was something about those eyes. Fearsome, wild...aggressive. The eyes of a cornered prey. At that moment, Oobleck realized what was wrongs. This girl...she felt threatened by him somehow. Once more, the girl charged, using a shot from her scythe to boost her speed while the blade trailed behind her for a threatening swing that would cut through his remaining Aura and end him.

She swung the blade in a diagonal motion, aiming to cleave the man in two. But Oobleck jumped to the side and out of the way just in time.

The man cursed. The girl just wasn't going to let him go. He looked at how much ammo he had left in his gun, and found only one shot left. He opened the chamber, discarding the last bullet before swiping a new pack. The girl was on him again, however. This time, she rammed the scythe into the ground and opened fire on him, releasing flaming bullets.

He quickly ducked and rolled out of the path of the first shot before springing up on his feet and continued to move. He ran through a rain of flaming sniper rounds, trying to get the girl within effective range of his weapon.

He loaded the new Dust rounds and locked the chamber, weapon now primed and ready. The girl seemed to be out of ammo herself as she removed her scythe, taking out the now empty magazine and swiftly slamming in a new one. However, rather than resume shooting at her, she dashed forward, a trail of bloody red petals behind her, and the glint of her scythe trailing behind with the intent to lop off his head. Oobleck's sprint lowered him to the floor, sliding across the pavement and avoiding the scythe as it swung over his body, the flat of the blade nearly touching his nose. Quickly, he was back on his feet, and turned around just in time to duck underneath another swing, going for a low sweep to knock the girl off her feet. As her scythe came around behind her from her swing, she fired off a round, knocking her into the air.

Aligning herself with the scythe's shaft, she fired off two more rounds with her target in sight. Oobleck evaded them, performing a backflip and jumping away when they came dangerously close to shaving off his chin. When the girl landed back on the ground, she let out a low growl and readied herself for another charge. The history professor narrowed his eyes, pumping his shotgun. "I'll give you one chance," he said. "Surrender and turn yourself in. I don't like hurting children, but I will if I have to."

The girl's response was a roar as she shot forward once again as a red blur. This time, she was even faster and the petals seemed to be flowing off of her form. To anyone else who saw this, her form was a red speeding blur.

To Oobleck, however, who's pupils began to shrink to the size of pinpricks, the girl was moving slow. Just as she was near him, time seemed to slow to a crawl, and her form came in slow motion. He took this time to aim his shotgun, aligning it for a straight shot.

"...my sincerest apologies."

He pulled the trigger.

The shell fired out of the barrel and splintered into a rain of shrapnel that impacted the young girl. The hurricane of bullets plowed straight into her like rain, halting her assault completely and throwing her back. The force was so great that she lost her grip on he weapon, letting it clatter away from her. She tumbled through the ground, being tossed around like a rag doll before coming to a stop, lying flat on her stomach. The girl grit her teeth, feeling her body aching all over. Her aura had dipped down to dangerous levels and was already trying to heal the damage. However, the force behind that attack was insane. She felt so heavy, like something had reigned down upon her. It hurt just to move. Oobleck sighed, rubbing his eyes as he felt a familiar sting in the back of his eyeballs, and holstered his weapon. Slowly, he approached the girl as she clamored back up to her feet, weakly grabbing her weapon. She stumbled a bit as she tried to hold it properly, but found herself slacking. "Now now," he said. "Let's not drag this out any further than we have to."

He didn't want this fight to continue. He didn't know why this girl was helping out Torchwick, but it was clear that she was far too young. Perhaps he could find help for her. Fighting children was not something he wanted to do, and he most certainly did not enjoy inflicting pain on her. He made a move to gently remove the scythe from her grasp, a sign that the fight was over...

...and promptly found a heel rammed into his face. "Ghrk?!" The strike was enough to knock him back a few feet away. He skidded on his feet after regaining his balance as he tumbled, holding his face as he looked up. To his surprise, another girl, much older than the one behind her, had appeared, standing in between the two of them. She was a bit shorter than the red-cloaked girl, wearing a white jacket with a pink interior, brown pants, black gloves, and black and white boots with very high heels. Under her jacket was a brown corset, curved in the middle and at the bottom, exposing her hips. She also wore a multitude of necklaces, which hung haphazardly around her neck. Her hair was stylized and hanged down to her shoulders, one half colored brown and the other half colored pink with a white streak on the right side. Her eyes were odd as well, as when she blinked, they shifted back and forth between brown, white and pink.

A mysterious smile was present on her face while she held a naked silver blade in one hand, and what appeared to be an umbrella in the other.

Oobleck internally panicked. There was another one?! He silently cursed. He thought the fight was over and dropped his guard. How reckless of him. He barely had any Aura left. He couldn't endure another prolonged fight without taking some form of damage. The older girl gave a grin to the man while she turned to the younger one, who was bewildered by her appearance. "W-what?" she gasped. "Who're-" She was hushed when the girl put a finger on her lips, silencing her. She then looked up to the building where Torchwick had escaped to. Oobleck followed her gaze, and to his surprise, heard the sound of an aircraft's engine humming loudly. Soon, a Bulkhead came into view, slowly ascending into the air.

The history teacher swore. "Damn!" He turned his attention to the two girls. The older one gave him another grin as she performed a curtsy, as if mockingly. He did not have time for this. He fired off another round, this shot meant to startle them and give him time to chase after the criminal, though to his shock, when the shots connected, the two girls shattered apart like glass. "What?!"

"Thanks for the show, old timer!" Roman's voice jeered as the Bulkhead turned, showing the mobster standing in the cargo door, the two girls from earlier also shown inside. The younger one was held gently by the older girl, who waved at him. Roman gave a small laugh as he tossed something out to the man, which clattered and hit the ground by his feet. "Sadly, I'm afraid this show's gone on long enough!"

Oobleck looked down and blanched.

It was a Fire Dust crystal.

Before he even had a chance, Roman aimed the end of his cane, the tip popping open to reveal the muzzle of a gun with the tip acting as a crosshairs, and opened fire, shooting off a flaring shot that struck the crystal. In the next second, the ground exploded in Oobleck's face, shrapnel of concrete and debris exploding everywhere while the man himself was sent flying, smacking straight into the brick wall of a building. The force was enough to destroy the rest of his Aura and knock him out. He lingered on the wall for a few seconds before he slumped down to his rear, proceeding to then collapse to his side, eyes rolling to the back of his head.

The mobster chuckled, shaking his head as he tipped his hat, backing out as the cargo door closed. "Well, that was an eventful evening, wasn't it?" he asked no one in particular as he looked to the two girls. "Thanks for the assist, Red. Much better help than Junior's boys. Seriously, they're as useless as they come!" He couldn't help but complain. Seriously. It was as if all they were good for was being someone's punching bag. He then looked at Neo, and narrowed his eyes. "And you, little lady, are late. Where the hell were you?"

The diminutive girl shrugged as she held up a sign that said. 'Sorry. Was a little busy getting sober. Lost track of time.'

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Neo," the man groaned, slapping his head to his temples. "What did I say about getting shitfaced?!"

'You mistake me for someone who gives a damn, Roman.' Neo signed, grinning in amusement.

"That's it. That's the last time I'm leaving you alone to get wasted." Roman decided flatly. Remind him again, why exactly does he leave her alone at a bar? Shaking his head, he turned his attention to the red-hooded girl. "So...what exactly were you doing back there, Red? Normally, good samaritans would try and stop the bad guy from getting away."

The girl looked up. As she did, he got a good look at her face. Fifteen years old or so, pale skin, silver eyes, and black and red hair. Cute kid, if he were honest, if you were talking about the adorable kind of cute. "Well, you didn't mug me back at the store," she said. "And the shop owner didn't do anything for me lately, so...I figured I would pay you back. Plus, you kept your friend from annoying me. I'd say that makes you okay in my book."

Roman quirked an eyebrow, but then laughed. What the girl just described...that was textbook street rat logic. "You, I like," he said pleasantly. "You got a name, Red?"

"Ruby."

"Well, Ruby, thanks again for the save. Truly appreciate it. but what was a little girl like you doing back there this late at night?"

"What?" Ruby pouted. "Our hotel room is so stuffy, and I barely get to go anywhere outside while Yang and the others do their jobs! I mean, yeah, I take on some jobs to hunt down Grimm and the occasional bandit problem, but that's not the point!" She paused, then blushed as she scratched her cheek a bit. "That, and...I kinda wanted to see what weapon mods they had."

"So you have others with you? Then don't you think you should be getting home? They could be worried about you you know."

Ruby sighed, hanging her head. "Yeah, I know..."

Roman chuckled. What a kid. Normally he would just leave her alone and give her a good pat on the back, hell maybe hire her for a job or two...but while he was the ringleader of the criminal underworld, even he had a set of morals. And those morals included not bringing children into his business. After all, there was something called "honor among thieves." He then turned to his accomplice. "Hey, Neo. Make sure the kid gets home safe, yeah?"

'Whaaat?'

"Don't give me that. You were the one who went and got shit-faced and was late to the party. You picked your poison...now drink it." Roman said, leaving no room for argument.

Neo gave a scowl, but then huffed, folding her arms. Ruby, though, looked at least a bit shameful of her actions. She honestly didn't mean to get the girl in trouble. Just as she was about to apologize, she felt her Scroll vibrate. _'Oh crapsticks, it's Weiss isn't it?'_ she dreaded, swallowing the lump in her throat and taking out her Scroll. To her surprise, it wasn't from her girlfriend, but rather from an unknown number.

 **[On the way back to your place...you know any good ice cream parlors?]**

Blinking, she looked up at Neo, who had a shit-eating grin on her face, all the while holding a finger to her lips, giving the girl a wink.

 **Ears to the Ground: END**

* * *

 _ **...well, what do you know? I'm back from the motherfucking dead for this fic! And hoooly crap are we deviating hella far from canon with this! Still, what did you guys think about the chapter? Specifically, the bit with Ruby helping Torchwick and getting a glimpse of how she sees things from her perspective? Helping Torchwick just because of a small thing he did for her while letting him rob the store. Yes, there are some traces of her original personality, but she knows how cruel the world is. Playing hero isn't going to help her get anywhere. But what could have caused such a change? Well, if you listened to Ozpin's speech, you'll know that something happened to both Taiyang and Summer.  
**_

 _ **But what about Weiss, or Blake? What caused them to change? Moreover, what story awaits us in this dark retelling? Only one way to find out.**_

 _ **Also, before anyone raises a pitchfork about me getting Oobleck's weapon wrong...I'm fully aware that what he uses is not his real weapon. It is more of a backup he keeps with him when he doesn't have his trusty thermos with him. Speaking of which, what in the HELL. Okay, I get it, some weapons are more bizarre than others, but a thermos?! Dafuq?! Also, regarding the phenomenon when he managed to repel Ruby. That is what I am using as his Semblance. It increases his senses to the point where, to him, it seems like time is slowed to a crawl...except it hurts his eyes since they're receiving so much information in so short a time. hence why he wears glasses. To help with that for prolonged uses.**_

 _ **Anyway, that's it for now. I hope you guys enjoyed the new chapter. Also, again, shout out to Code-Emp-oh, wait. Sorry. Daemon of Wrath for helping me with this chapter. Couldn't have done it without you man.**_

 _ **Until next time, guys**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Remnant...**

 **A world, left fractured, incomplete, mere pieces without a fixed point to return. It is a world that is all but the remains of a forgotten history, of a time that man has long since forgotten. Yet, within that world there are Legends. Epics. Stories scattered through time. Mankind has grown quite fond of recounting the exploits of heroes and villains, forgetting so easily that we are remnants, byproducts, of a forgotten past.**

 **Man, born from dust, was strong, wise, and resourceful, but he was born into an unforgiving world. An inevitable darkness – creatures of destruction – the creatures of Grimm – set their sights on man and all of his creations. These forces clashed, and it seemed the darkness was intent on returning man's brief existence to the void.**

 **However, even the smallest spark of hope is enough to ignite change, and in time, man's passion, resourcefulness, and ingenuity led them to the tools that would help even the odds. This power was appropriately named "Dust".**

 **Nature's wrath in hand, man lit their way through the darkness, and in the shadow's absence came strength, civilization, and most importantly, life. But even the most brilliant lights eventually flicker and die. And when they are gone... darkness will return.**

 **So you may prepare your guardians, build your monuments to a so-called "free world", but take heed... there will be no victory in strength.**

 **...but perhaps victory is in the simpler things that you've long forgotten. Things that require a smaller, more honest soul.**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

IN THIS WORD, THERE IS NO SMALL, HONEST SOUL

* * *

 _"There is no death, only a change of worlds." -Native American Proverb_

* * *

 _ **Outsiders**_

* * *

[...you live in the red light district?]

The look Neo had given Ruby when they finally arrived at the apartment complex was one of utter confusion and slight dumbfoundments. For the red-cloaked reaper's part, none of the girls had yet to inform her what exactly a red-light district was like, only that she should stay away from seedy stores and men who dressed fashionably and women who exposed far too much skin. "It was cheap." Ruby offered. "That, and Weiss wasn't willing to pay over 1,500 lien. She's really stingy when it comes to spending."

[So I noticed.] Neo replied swiftly on her Scroll.

Ruby cocked her head. "So...how is it that you can't talk, if you don't mind me asking?"

[I don't mind. I'm mute. That's why.] Neo typed casually.

Ruby's eyes widened. "Mute?" she asked. "That means you can't speak for any reason, right?"

[Yep. Born that way.] Neo responded with a shrug. [Though it isn't as bad as people think. For starters, being mute is a pretty awesome way to fuck around with people.]

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked curiously.

Neo giggled, fingers flying across the holographic keyboard on her Scroll. [You'll see.]

Ruby pouted, not enjoying the tease, but relented. She then turned back to the door and turned the doorknob, opening the door. "Hey guys!" she called. "I'm back!"

In the next moment, a blonde female tackled her and picked her up in a hug. "Where the hell were you?!" Yang scolded. "You were late and you didn't pick up any of our calls!"

"Ack! I'm sorry!"

Neo watched in amusement as the little girl tried, and apparently failing, to ease the worries of her older sister. However, looking at the two, her smile grew, recognizing the blonde as the one from the club earlier today. Truth be told, her interest was only minor. The look in her eyes, and the eagerness to fight, showed that she held some enjoyment in these illegal fights she partook in. Speaking personally, Neo enjoyed to fight as well. She especially enjoyed the moment when she readied the final blow on her opponent. The girl's eyes narrowed, though, when she looked at the girl's features. She saw little family resemblance between the two of them. Perhaps sisters in name only?

Her thoughts ceased when she felt a blade press up against her throat, and her arm roughly grabbed and pressed against her back at an uncomfortable angle. "Who are you?" Blake growled. "And what are you doing with Ruby?"

"W-whoa, wait a sec Blake!" Ruby panicked, seeing the Cat Faunus holding Neo dead to rights. Near the entrance of the room, she found Weiss readying her rapier. "She's a friend! She helped me out!"

"Helped you out? With what?" The white haired girl questioned with suspicion.

Ruby paled slightly. Oh, how was she supposed to explain this? She promised them she wouldn't get into trouble, but..how could she tell them she fought off someone and helped what was apparently a mafiaso escape?!

Seeing her inner turmoil, Neo tapped a few keys on her Scroll and showed it to the other three girls. [She helped out my boss, so I offered to help her out.] the message read. [Btw, can you tell the kitty cat to let go? I like it when girls get rough as much as the next gal, but the blade to the neck is a real turnoff.]

The three older teens looked at one another, as if silently discussing before they nodded. Blake removed her weapon from the girl's neck. Neo nodded her head gratefully while she rubbed her neck. "Sorry about that." Yang apologized. "We don't exactly take kindly to straners. Especially when they're around Ruby."

[It's fine.] Neo told her. [Pretty much used to it. Nice to see you again, Blondie~]

Yang cocked her head. What did that mean? Did she know her or something? However, as she looked more closely, the ice-cream themed girl did look familiar. Eventually, as she traced back her mind, she finally remembered as her lilac eyes widened. "Oooh, I remember you!" she said, pounding her closed fist against her hand. "You were there back at Junior's club!"

[Bingo~] Neo smiled. [I must say...you have some pretty big ones asking for Underground fights here in Vale.]

"What can I say? I like to live dangerously." A pause. "That, and it pays more than working at some deadbeat job."

[True, true...nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?]

Yang grinned. "I like you already." she said before she put a hand on her hip, turning to Ruby. "So, what kind of trouble did you get yourself into this time, Rubes?" Her eyes narrowed. "And don't lie. I'll know if you do."

"W-well...I may...or may not have gotten caught up in a scuffle that actually could've been a Dust Store Robbery..."

Instantly, the three girls' eyes glared at her, all of which were frowns of disappointment. "What." Weiss got out with a snarl. "Did I say. About. Getting. Into. Trouble?"

"I'm sorry...!" The petite girl squeaked in apology. "B-But...that guy looked like he needed help...!"

The white-haired girl immediately turned to Neo, who immediately held up her Scroll. [My partner.] she told them. [He was sorely getting his ass handed to him by some dude with a shotgun, then little red riding hood comes in and saves his butt.] Neo grinned as she added, [She looked cool while doing it too.]

Of course, what she didn't tell them was that her partner just so happened to be the kingpin of the criminal underworld, Roman Torchwick. She easily recognized the white-haired girl as the missing heiress, Weiss Schnee. Roman had informed her that, a few months back, Junior's boys had done something incredibly stupid by trying to rape some whore at the club he was robbing. Sadly, said whore turned out to be Weiss Schnee herself, and she was none too happy about them laying a hand on her. She arrived late to the party, so she saw only the chopped up corpses of Junior's goons.

She had to say, she was rather impressed. She loved to see what else the girl could do. For now, though, she would keep quiet. No use trying to get her partner in trouble.

Weiss glared at the girl for several more minutes before she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose and shaking her head. "Honestly, Ruby..." she said in exasperation as she folded her arms, looking back at her girlfriend. "We told you not to try some heroics while we're here. We're trying to lay low, not find ourselves back on the run."

"I know, but..." Ruby muttered, looking off to the side while she fiddled with her thumbs. "I owed the guy for what he did back at the shop."

"Regardless, you have to be more careful."

"R-right...sorry, Weiss."

"It's okay." She extended her hand and ruffled her hair. "Just don't put yourself in danger like that again."

Rub smiled, enjoying the feeling of Weiss' soft, delicate hands rummaging through her hair. She could already feel her heart beginning to melt. Neo rolled her eyes. What was this? Puppy dog love or something? Well, then again...wasn't everyday you get to see two girls madly in love. A small part of her actually wanted in on that. Now, don't get her wrong, Neo loved men as much as the next girl, but she fond those of the same gender to be much better company.

Namely because unlike girls, boys' sex drives could only last as much as their fishing hooks. That, and they break rather easily.

A pity, but then again, what can you expect from guys in the first place? They just lack stamina and get satisfied rather easily.

"Well, as fun as learning what Ruby's been up to..." Yang said as she grabbed her duffel bag. "I'm heading off to that Rat's Nest place. Should be back before Midnight or so."

"Be careful. And break some legs while you're at it." Blake called after her.

"You know it, kitty cat."

Blake glowered at the detestable nickname, though she eventually gave a sigh as she palmed her face. As the rest of the girls went about their ways, three of the four heading to bed, Neo gave her farewells. To Yang's surprise, the ice-cream themed girl walked behind her, swinging her legs up in the air. "What?" she asked, slightly suspicious of the newcomer. "You plan on coming along?"

[Nah.] Neo replied with her Scroll. [I'm just heading to the same place as you. That, and I don't feel like heading back home yet.] _'Not so long as the bitch is there...'_ Neo silently added in her mind, scowling.

She really did not like the person Roman recently partnered up with. Then again, did he really have a choice? The woman more or less forced him to cooperate or face death. Not cool.

Yang quirked an eyebrow, but shrugged. If Neo wanted to come with, so be it. Plus, it would be a good way to keep an eye on her. While she did apparently save Ruby, she didn't completely trust her. Something about her felt...dangerous. Whether that was good, or bad, was up for debate.

At any rate...at least she'd have some company.

* * *

 **-Chapter 3: Girls Night Out-**

Roman groaned as he rubbed his neck, entering the warehouse where his base of operations was currently stationed at. It was pretty much located at the center of the docks, which in hindsight, was pretty dangerous for a high profile mafiaso such as himself. However, there wasn't any need to worry. After all, he owned this part of town. He pays the cops to turn a blind eye to whatever happens here on his turf, hospitals fix up his boys when he gives the word, and the dealers don't think twice about trying to swindle him out of a deal with shipments of weaponry and Dust and all that jazz. Even so, he wasn't particularly found of this warehouse.

Namely due to the fact that he was forced to choose this location, per the behest of his new employer. GOD was it disgusting to refer to that woman like that. Even now, his pride cried in anger. He was forced to bow down to someone. Him! The ruler of Vale's criminal underworld! The baddest most sharp-dressed gangster in all of Remnant! Forced to bow down to some tramp in a sexy little red number!

Oho, now don't get him wrong, Cinder Fall was a drop dead gorgeous woman. A ten out of ten in his book.

The problem?

She. Was. A. Bitch.

Not that he didn't expect it. With a woman like drop dead gorgeous, she must either be a some miracle girl, or a complete bitch personality wise.

Worse, the only upside was that she had connections...LOTS of connections.

Connections that implied that if he crossed her...they would find no trace of his existence. Dust, weaponry, White Fang grunts...whoever she was, she was high up. Bigger than even he was. How else was she able to get the White Fang, the biggest human haters on this planet, to work with her? Even now, he was both impressed and terrified.

Seriously...why can't any of the hot women he meets in this shitty life be a sweet down-home girl?

"You're late, Roman." a cold, mature yet alluring voice called out as he reached the back of the warehouse, where his "office" was located.

There, sitting on a small pile of crates, was Cinder Fall herself.

Ashen black hair that fell down past the shoulder, bangs curved over the left eye. Pools of warm yellow, burning softly like amber. A dark-red, off-the-shoulders, v-neck minidress with yellow designs. There was a blue feather-like accessory on her right hip, at the top of an open portion of her dress. The dress ended in an upside-down triangular tail in the back, ending just above the knees. There was a baseball diamond-shaped keyhole on the dress' upper back at the same height as her chest. The sleeves end in a triangle shape, which were wrapped or tied around her middle finger, with the gold designs of the sleeve taking over at the wrists. Sadly, even though she sat with her legs crossed - her dress slightly parted - she wore black shorts underneath rather than lingerie. Around her neck was a black collar.

Roman rolled his eyes. "Oh, spare me the lecture." he told her as he twirled his cane around. "I managed to finish my job, however troublesome it was. Oh, speaking of which, I thought you were supposed to help in my getaway?" He leveled a small glare at her, tapping the cane against the floor. "You said the job was supposed to be easy. The damn shop was at the rats ass end of town! Instead, who do I find mucking up my operations? A Huntsman, that's who."

Cinder smiled thinly, shifting her legs in a reverse position while she drummed a finger against her cheek. "Yet here you are in one piece." she countered. "Alive, well...and making good on your end of the bargain."

"Yeah, no thanks to you." the criminal scoffed. "I had to rely on Neo and a brat to help me out. Real nice knowing my boss cares so much about me."

"Now, that's rather harsh." Cinder purred, her smile growing. "Didn't I tell you before? We're both working together. A simple partnership. Nothing more."

Oh, how he wanted to call bullshit on that. This was hardly a partnership. She made that perfectly clear the first day. He fell for her womanly charms, much to Neo's amusement - she always said that he'd end up dead because of some sexy little minx - and now look at him. The top dog, forced to work for a femme fatale. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

"At any rate...you said you encountered a Huntsman?"

"Yeeep." Roman drawled out his reply, letting out a pop at the end. "Green hair, messy, smelled a shit-ton like coffee. Only reason why I didn't end up bruised like a banana is 'cause some kid at the shop helped me out." He let out a small chuckle. He still remembered her street rat answer from before. Hopefully, she was back home. "Only reason she did is cause I stopped one of Junior's boys from robbing her. Kid didn't look like she had much on her in the first place. A regular street rat."

"Is that so..." She hummed. "And she assisted in your escape because of that?"

"Pretty much in a nutshell." Roman shrugged. "Still, I'll admit the kid has some skills. She managed to keep the Hunstman at bay before we escaped." Cinder seemed to grow curious. Immediately, Roman put a lid on the conversation. He knew that look in her eye...and he immediately stopped her right there. "Anyway...what's the next part of the plan? More dust?"

"Until the next phase." came the simple, curt reply.

Roman groaned. "You're killin' me here, Fall."

* * *

The Rat's Nest certainly lived up to it's name as both an underground fight ring and a den for pretty much every criminal activity you can think of.

The air reeked of cigarrete smoke and blood as booths, lining the walls, sat on all sides with tables cluttered with drinks, foods and half-finished cigars. At each table was at least one shady looking person, either vigilant of their surroundings and ready to leap at the moment's notice or simply kept to themselves. It was, also, something of a gentleman's club of sorts. Waltzing around were women wearing revealing dresses, the more bold ones dressed like casino bunny girls with fishnet stockings, a one-piece suit that hugged their assets, and bunny ears atop their head. The men swooned over them like horny dogs, few even taken to the back room for extra 'services.'

Yang, however, did not come here for pleasure. At least, not of the sexual kind. She came her for the pleasure of flesh being struck against flesh - of blood spilling across her knuckles.

She came to fight.

"Huh." she said simply as she looked around. "Not too shabby. Though it stinks like a shithole."

[What did you expect?] Neo typed with an eyebrow at her hairline. [Five-star hotel?]

"Not really. Just thought it'd be better than the usual underground rings I've fought in. But it smells like all the rest of them." Yang gave a shrug as she looked around. Since there wasn't any ring as far as she could see, this was probably just the reception area. She walked through the crowd in hopes of finding the location of the arena. The sooner she could get started, the better.

As the two girls entered the apparent reception area, one of the tenants of the nearby booths stumbled out. "H-hey, good lookin'..." the man slurred, breath reeking of alcohol as he walked up to Yang and Neo. "Y-you look for a good time?"

"Mm, maybe." Yang responded with a sly grin, putting a hand on her hip. "Why? Know any good places?"

"Oh I...I got a place in mind..." The tenant slurred. "You got a name, darlin'?"

"Oh, I have one...but you can just call me **SIR**." The next second, the drunk let out a high pitched squeal as Yang's hand went and pressed his family jewels into a vice-tight grip. Neo silently applauded the girl for her brutality. "Now...I'm going to ask this once..." Yang emphasized with a tighter squeeze. "...where do people register for the underground brawls?"

"I-IN THE BACK!" the drunk man cried, the pain instantly making him sober. "GUY WITH AN EYEPATCH! FRONT DESK! CAN'T MISS HIM!"

"Thanks~" With an impressive feat of strength, she threw the drunk back at his booth. His body crashed straight into the table, destroying everything on it and leaving him on the floor, put into a stupor.

The two females marched on, Neo only sparing a passing glance before turning back to Yang. [That was pretty harsh...I like it.]

"Eh, what can I say?" Yang smirked. "I like playing rough."

Oh, Neo was already aware of that. And if she were being honest, she was starting to wonder if she was falling in love. Yang certainly had a killer body, and from the look of it, she wasn't afraid of getting her hands dirty. Perhaps she could try and swoon the girl? Maybe flirt? Nah, sounded like too much trouble. She didn't like beating around the bush. Plus, she was apparently already in a relationship, if the look she shared with the Cat Faunus back at the motel was any indication.

Then again, when has that ever stopped her?

She pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind when they eventually reached what could be the registration desk. Sure enough, the drunk man was correct, as seated at the desk was a burly man with bronze skin with ripped muscles, barely constrained by a black muscle t-shirt, a bald head, and an eyepatch over his left eye. He also had a salt-and-pepper like beard etched over his chin, marring his jaw, just below his sunken cheeks. In his hands was a newspaper, feet propped up on the table.

"You guy the who sets up the fights?" Yang called. The man lowered the newspaper and quirked an eyebrow, seeing two young women walking up to his desk. "I'm here for a round or two. Any takers?"

"...lady, do you know where you are?"

"Hm, let me think..." Yang tapped her chin. "A shitty place that smells like blood, sex and smoke...a really scary-lookin thug for a receptionist...and a place where just about every shady guy who's secretly a virgin comes to get laid...ooh, I know~ A bar with a fight club?"

"You tryin' to be funny or somethin'?" The guy glowered at her. "If so, then buzz off. This place ain't for little ladies like you and your short-stack friend."

Neo felt her eyebrow twitch.

"Wow, dude. Bit rude, don't you think?"

The man grunted. "Blow off, bimbo. Take your half-sized pint friend and-"

In the next second, a flash of silver came at him. He found his newspaper cut in half, and behind him, the wall was left with a scar. Stunned, Yang and the man looked at Neo, who was now holding a blade in her hand. _'Where the hell did she get that?'_ Yang wondered. _'I'm pretty sure she wasn't carrying that before!'_

The diminutive female casually twirled the blade in her hand while her other hand held onto her closed parasol, which was no missing the handle at the base. Her eyes were narrowed in a lethal, irritated glare.

"T-the hell?" the man balked before his lone eye glared in anger. "Now, look here you little shit-!"

In response, Neo stabbed the blade into the desk, intimidating the man. She then took out her scroll and input a few keys before showing him the message.

[This short-stack happens to have a name: Neopolitan. I think it would clear things up if I mentioned the name Roman Torchwick?]

Upon reading the latter's name in the message, the man blanched. These girls were associated with Torchwick? Fuuuuuuuck...

...

...

...

...wait, _Neopolitan_?!

If it were any possible, the man's face paled even further, whiter than a ghost. He knew that name. Hell, there was barely anyone who DIDN'T! "I-I'm sorry!" the man whined. "I-I honestly didn't mean to!"

[Shut it.] Neo ceased, eyes blazing. [Just sign me and Yang Xiao Long up for a fight. Moreover, for your comment, you better pay us double. Unless, of course...you don't value your manhood.]

"Y-Yes ma'am!" The man stammered anxiously as he quickly signed them up for an upcoming match.

Smiling, Neo removed the sword from the desk and sheathed it back into the parasol. With that, she and Yang then left towards where the ring was located.

"And you called me harsh." Yang marveled. "That was brutal...yet strangely awesome all the same time."

[Thank you, darling.] Neo smirked. [There's a good reason why I've worked with my associate for so long. We just work so well together...]

"Obviously." the blonde grinned, draping an arm around the smaller girl's shoulder. "I bet he must get exhausted with you around."

Neo snickered. [He wishes. I like guys as much as the next girl, but personally speaking, girls are much better company. For example, girls don't have fishing hooks that break.]

"Oof." Yang winced. "That bad of an experience?"

[What can I say? I'm a hard woman to please~]

* * *

"ACHOO!"

Ruby looked up from her Scroll, finding Blake rubbing her nose. "Whoa, you okay, Blake?" she asked, concerned. "That sounded like a big one."

"I don't know...I don't feel sick...must've been someone talking about me." The Faunus shrugged as she wiped her nose.

"I still don't understand how that even works." Weiss stated. "It's scientifically impossible for someone to sneeze, simply because someone is talking about them!"

"I don't know...doesn't it happen in Blake's books though?" Ruby questioned.

"That is purely fictional circumstance!"

The cat faunus sighed, shaking her head. It seemed like they were about to go back into another argument. For some reason, their arguments always centered around the idea of fiction and whatnot being the same thing. As far as she was concerned, she didn't care much for it. At this point in time, she knew that her sneezes were because someone was talking about her.

More specifically, a certain buxom blonde brawler.

Initially, she was hesitant on letting her go to the fighting ring with that Neo girl. Mainly due to the fact they knew little to nothing about her. All they knew was that Ruby helped her associate, but other than that, nothing. It was dangerous, allowing her to go on ahead with an unknown. The last time they trusted someone, they were stabbed in the back, nearly robbed, and Ruby...

She shut her eyes, trying to force the image from her mind. She didn't even want to think about what happened.

After the incident, the four girls became more careful. Anyone they came across, they were weary of. As far as Blake was concerned, the only trustworthy people was anyone who didn't trust them, the White Fang to some extent...and themselves. Of course, the incident only made Weiss more protective towards Ruby. For several months, she wouldn't let the little red reaper out of her sight, going with her or forcing her to stay behind with her. It took some serious convincing on Yang's part to try and lessen her protective nature, since they knew that Ruby would be stubborn.

In the meantime, though...they had to stay low. If they caused too much trouble, then what happened back at Mistral and Vacuo was going to repeat.

She still failed to see how Yang saw being wanted criminals as "being popular." It only painted an even bigger target on their backs, thus making their lives even harder than before.

It would also make her job harder as well. Even now, she was still trying to understand how to get at Cinder Fall. So far, her only leads were Roman Torchwick and Mercury Black. The former was going to be tough to get at, given his reputation and status. The latter...she had no idea where to start looking. An irritated sigh escaped her as she chose to look through her Scroll, hoping that one of her contacts had information.

As she did, the TV blared.

[-w hours ago, a Dust shop near the end of town, From Dust 'till Dawn, was attacked and robbed by the nefarious criminal Roman Torchwick.] Instantly, her amber eyes focused on the screen, as did Weiss and Ruby, who shifted up from their position and clamored up to the foot of the squeaky bed. [Once again, large quantities of Dust were taken, though many of his associates were captured due to the efforts of Beacon Academy's own history professor and retired Huntsman, Bartholomew Oobleck. Unfortunately, the criminal was able to escape with the aid of two young women.]

The screen showed a blurry image of a girl wearing a cloak carrying a scythe - easily recognizable as Ruby Rose, while the other was none other than Neopolitan, her form much sharper and clearer compared to Ruby's.

[While the other assailant has yet to be confirmed, one had been identified as Neopolitan, who authorities believe to be Torchwick's right-hand man. If you have any information regarding this incident, please contact the number down at the screen. This is Lisa Lavender, signing off.]

Slowly, two sets of eyes turned towards Ruby, who bore a nervous smile on her face. "...Ruby?" Weiss gave the girl a sickly sweets mile. "Care to explain?"

"...I'm screwed, aren't I?"

"Yes." Blake said, narrowing her eyes. "Yes you are."

The only response she could give was a pitiful whine, awaiting the torture that would soon come.

* * *

"UNBELIEVABLE! I-I CAN'T BELIEVE MY EYES FOLKS! OUR NEWCOMERS JUST TOOK DOWN THE TOP 3 OF THE RAT'S NEST!" The announcer shouted in complete shock and awe. The crowd shared his sentiment in the form of wild cheers.

In the middle of the ring, Yang stood tall atop three unconscious bodies. Their limbs were broken and their faced were completely bruised and swelling. There was also some discoloration across their bodies from internal bleeding. Not far was Neo, who was simply content with sitting around in the background unlike the brawler who enjoyed the spotlight. She was busy looking over her nails, as if looking for imperfection.

She wasn't worried, however. She knew the girl could handle herself. It was evident when she saw Yang throw a punch strong enough to crack a sternum and a few ribs.

And this was with her bare hands.

In matches like this, weapons were allowed. High stakes was just another fancy way of saying 'no rules.' Yang had gauntlets that functioned like shotguns, capable of double damage. They could also function as long range shots, but didn't do as much. She truly was a brawler who struck fast and heavy. Of course, Neo was just as good in a fight. She couldn't kill 'em, sadly. That was pretty much the only real rule in matches. Instead, she just beat the hell out of them with her parasol and heels.

Ah, the wonders of stiletto heels...

Most people, even women, would consider them to be impractical in a fight given the need to practice balance while wearing them. But it all came naturally to Neo. She had w wonderful sense of balance and grace that she made wearing heels look completely easy. Plus, the heels of her boots were sharpened to the point of blades, making it quite enjoyable to use in a fight. She could kick and stab people all at the same time~

And then, of course, there was the beauty of matches like this. Kicks to the balls were acceptable. Though she doubted the guys wouldn't be having kids anytime soon.

Once the match was finished and over with, and their money collected, the two girls left the club. "Hm, not bad~" Yang hummed in delight as she ran a thumb over the wad of lien in her hands. "Junior says I get paid more if I keep the number 1 spot for a week. Should be interesting~" She let out a giggle as she pocketed away the money, and then looked at Neo. "Thanks for the help, Neo. You know, you're not as bad as I thought."

Neo smirked, holding up her scroll. [Hey, street rats stick together, you know?] she answered. [Besides...something tells me you're a lot of fun to hang out with.]

"Oh, you have no idea." Yang grinned, crossing her arms. "Trust me, I'll be Xiao-ing you a good time!"

Silence.

Just pure silence.

[...no.] Neo stated flatly. [Just no.]

Yang groaned, throwing her hands in the air. "Why can't anyone appreciate a good joke?"

[People can...just not yours.] She typed.

"Fuck you." Yang snapped.

Strangely, the same smile Neo had back at Junior's club showed up as she wagged a finger. Yang frowned, recognizing it as the signal to come closer. She leaned forward, enough for Neo to act. Her hand whipped out and grabbed the collar of her shirt, pulling her forward. Yang would have recognized this as a hostile act and fought back...

...if not for the fact that she found her lips connecting with Neo's.

For several moment's the blonde's mind short-circuited. The petite woman used this opportunity to pry the girl's lips open with her tongue. Yang was certainly no stranger to tongue action. Lord knows she's done this to Blake so many times. A part of her brain that was still working noted how the girl's mouth tasted like ice cream.

It was ironic really, given her name was Neopolitan. But hey, who was she to complain?

Much to her (surprising) disappointment, Neo pulled back, leaving her in a dazed stupor while the petite girl licked her lips, savoring the taste. "...t-the fuck..." Yang muttered, still dazed. Neo gave her a wink while she stuck out her tongue. Just as Yang recovered, Neo was gone in a flash of light, causing her to blink and look around rapidly. She was too confused to wonder what the hell just happened. Her fingers went to her lips, recalling how the girl had kissed her. The only other girl to do that was Blake, but even then, it was more or less nervous and shyly.

Neo? She was aggressive, like herself.

Suddenly, her scroll vibrated. She pulled it out out from her pocket and opened it up. To her shock, it was Neo.

[If you want a good time, just hook me up at Junior's place~ And if you want, bring the sexy kitty cat along. Always wanted to try a threesome~ ;P]

Yang's face flushed slightly, pink dusting her cheeks. Yep. That girl was definitely aggressive.

"...I'm too sober for this." she decided, pocketing her Scroll and making her way back home. A shame the apartment didn't come with beer or whiskey or anything. She felt like she could use it.

* * *

"...Jaune?"

"Yeah, Ren?"

"What are you wearing?"

At this point, Nora could no longer contain her laughter while Jaune cocked his head in confusion, looking down at his attire. As per Goodwitch's words, they had entered the ballroom. It was quite crowded, making it hard to find a decent place to sleep, though the four teens eventually found a place near the back of the room. For some reason, though, when he came out in his comfy blue onesie, people were either looking at him funny, snickering or outright laughing.

"What's wrong with my onesie?" he asked innocently, honestly finding no problem with his nightwear. "It's perfectly comfortable."

"...You look like an over-sized toddler in that thing." Ren stated bluntly. Don't even get him started on the cartoonish bunny rabbit on the front.

"Don't you have anything else you can wear?"

"I do, but I'm already wearing this, aren't I?"

Pyrrha giggled softly while Ren sighed, rubbing his temples. Nora, meanwhile, continued to laugh and roll about on the ground, holding her stomach. "I, for one, think it looks good on you, Jaune." she threw in her two cents, much to Ren's displeasure. "It must be very comfy."

"It is~" the blonde knight grinned. "My sisters made it for me."

He was quite proud of this fact. He loved his family dearly, and they supported him in his decision in attending Beacon. So he would do his best and become the best Huntsman he could be and make them proud. Of course, he also had to thank his teacher as well...even if he was a bit bizarre.

"Remember, kid!" he recalled his teacher once telling him. "Women don't just want confidence in a guy. They need a guy who can make good on his promises! A man of action! That's the beauty of romance!"

Jaune liked to think he had confidence, but he wasn't quite sure if his skills were making good on what he promised. Yes, he could fight efficiently enough to kill a Grimm, but he wasn't sure if his skills were up to par with what the man thought. He still trained everyday, holding himself to the still yet unfulfilled goal of defeating his teacher. He also learned a few things from the man as well, the most important of all being his advice about girls.

For starters, don't even try and go after girls with 'Schnee' in their name. He at least knew that the Schnee's were the leading Dust corporation on Remnant, but he didn't really understand what he meant about that.

At any rate, there had yet to be a girl who caught his fancy...well, other than Pyrrha. She was positively beautiful, though something about her just couldn't let him try and woo her. He wasn't sure what it was. Nervousness, perhaps? Anxiety? Fear? Whatever the case, he was still going to be her friend. The prospect of that idea, when he once suggested it to her while they were getting ready for bed, seemed to excite her, so he must be doing something right. That, and she thought his onesie was great!

Ren still looked perplexed as he folded his arms. "No offense, Jaune," he said. "But if you wear that, chances are, you're going to get bullied."

"Eh, they can try." Jaune shrugged. He had dealt with bullies before plenty back at Glaive Academy. Here wouldn't be any different. "Besides, once again. I reiterate. IT. IS. COMFY."

The Mistralian boy sighed, palming his face. "Alright...just don't say I didn't warn you." Jaune grinned back at him, making the boy sigh again in exasperation. He then turned to Nora...who was still laughing like mad. "Nora, you can stop now."

"Okay, Ren~" The ginger immediately ceased her laughter, sat up on her rear, and gave a mock salute.

Pyrrha and Jaune blinked, turning to Ren. He simply gave a shrug. "She's always been like that..." He replied simply.

The two sweatdropped.

* * *

"...what am I looking at exactly?"

"YANG!" Ruby wailed as she struggled to break free from her confines, tears comically falling from her face. "HELP MEEEEE!"

Ruby Rose, the youngest girl of the group of four, was currently suspended from the ceiling tied up in rope. Her arms and feet were bound behind her back as she swung back and forth with rope wrapped around her body in a criss-cross, bondage-like manner. Holding the rope that kept the girl suspended was Weiss while Blake was currently holding a feather, twirling it around her slender digits as she prepared to take off Ruby's shoes.

"Good, you're here." Weiss said. "You can help us start the interrogation."

"What interrogation? What's going on?" Yang questioned.

"Apparently, your little sister assisted in the escape of Roman Torchwick from a robbery last night." Blake answered.

Ruby whined. "I told you before!" she said pitifully. "How was I supposed to know if he was mafia?!"

"Oh, I don't know, how about the fact that he WAS ROBBING A DUST STORE?!" Weiss stressed, eyes bulging out of madness. "We told you to stay out of trouble, and instead you end up helping a wanted criminal!"

"Technically," Blake quipped. "We're wanted criminals too."

"Not the point, Blake!"

While it was true they were wanted criminals, at least they knew how to play it safe. Things like these would just draw attention to themselves and make things increasingly difficult. Especially for Ruby. Thankfully, since the shot was blurry, the idea of someone recognizing her was low. It didn't help matters, however, as there was still the possibility of being found out.

"I-I said I was sorry!"

Yang sighed, scratching the back of her head. "Look, she screwed up," she said. "But hey, it isn't that bad. No one's going to recognize her."

"Except the Huntsman she fought." Blake frowned, crossing her arms. "He would recognize her easily."

"And what are the odds of us running into him?"

"...do you want to tempt fate, Xiao Long?" Weiss narrowed her eyes into a chilling stare. "Cause the last time you did, we ended up on the run from an angry mob in Vacuo."

"Hey! How was I supposed to know that guy recognized me?! He was drunk!"

Blake sighed, palming her face. "Can we please get back on track?" she asked, trying to return the conversation back to its origins. "Because Ruby screwed up, there's a chance that someone is going to be looking for her. Especially the Huntsman she met. We can't keep taking risks."

"I get it." Yang replied. "I really do." She walked over and grabbed a hold of some of the strings of ropes holding Ruby up, and with a swift tug ripped them apart, sending her sister flopping down on the bed with a yelp. "But you can't punish her for a mistake. Besides, I don't think we've got to worry about that."

Weiss huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Pray tell, how?"

"Well, if I remember right, Blake said she had a job to kill some chick named Cinder Fall, who's got Roman Torchwick and the White Fang under her thumb, right?" Weiss and Blake frowned, confused by what she was getting at, but nodded. "And Roman Torchwick is supposed to be some badass criminal, right?"

Ruby quirked her head. "I...guess...?"

"Well...would you believe me if I told you I might know a girl who just might be related to Torchwick in some way?"

Blake's eyes widened. "That girl wouldn't happen to be the same one who saved Ruby, would it?" she asked, earning a nod. "Actually, where is she?"

"Left after we got done kicking ass over at Rat's Nest." Yang answered as she tossed her scroll over to Blake. "I think I found us someone who might be able to keep the heat off our backs."

The Faunus opened the contacts and found the number she was looking for before looking up. Opening up the contact number, she found Neopolitan's name registered on Yang's scroll. "So...you have the contact info of an associate of Torchwick?"

"Yeeeup." Yang grinned.

Blake quirked an eyebrow. "And how did you get it?"

"Would you believe me I told you she's apparently into me and wants to have a threesome with the two of us?"

Upon hearing this, Blake nearly dropped the scroll out of shock. Weiss' face burned atomic red while Ruby cocked her head in confusion. "A...threesome?" she asked, confused. "What's that? A game between three people?"

"Y-you don't need to know!" Weiss said quickly, definitely not willing to let her adorable girlfriend learn about anything related to sex yet. It was pretty much the ironclad rule between her and the older girls of the group. "A-anyway! This...Neo...we saw her on the news. She's pretty all but said to be someone close to Roman. If you really do have her contact info...this may be useful."

Yang nodded. "That's what I thought, though we might wanna play this carefully. I saw how she fights." She gave a wince, remembering how she utterly demolished one of the three opponents they faced. Unfortunately, other than the incident with the registry, she wasn't able to see how she was with her weapon. "I haven't seen her work her magic with her weapon, but she's pretty good when it comes to hand-to-hand combat. And since she's working with Torchwick, pretty sure that means she isn't afraid to kill someone, either."

"That's all but guaranteed." Blake said, managing to get over her earlier shock. She then deepened her brow, holding a hand to her chin. In a way...this was useful. She now had access to one of her targets of interest. And, if she was correct in her assumptions regarding what sort of person Roman Torchwick was...then this would be killing two birds with one stone. She could get at Cinder Fall, and they would have an ally. Of course, it was too soon to tell. For now, they needed to play it safe. There was still so much they needed to learn. "If we do manage to make an ally out of Roman, we could get around Vale a lot easier. He does own a portion of the city, after all."

"Exactly." Yang agreed. "We gotta play this cool, and before you know it, we'll be off the hook and radar."

"IF we're lucky." Weiss said sourly. She then gave a tired sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Forget it...it's late. Let's go to bed. We can figure out our next move tomorrow."

Blake nodded, tossing Yang back her Scroll and hopping off the bed. "I'll take first watch, then."

"Do you really have to do that, Blake?" Ruby asked. She didn't understand the need to keep an eye out. Sure, the district smelled horrible, much like every other dingy place they've been to in the past, but it looked relatively safe enough. "I mean, what are the chances of someone coming for us in an old hotel?"

"It pays to be careful, Rubes." Blake responded before she smiled and ruffled the girl's hair. "Now, go on. Get some sleep. We've got a busy day tomorrow."

"Okay..." The girl replied as she crawled onto the bed and plopped her head on the pillow.

Weiss smiled, shaking her head before she soon joined the girl. In mere moments, the two were snoring their troubles away. Blake couldn't help but allow herself to smile as well. They had been together for so long, so much so that, by now...she considered them to be sisters. People she wanted to protect. She couldn't help but wonder if this was because of what happened back then when her father was-

 _"MMNGH?!"_

She caught caught off guard when Yang cupped her chin and pulled her in for a kiss. In seconds, her mouth was pried open and something thin and slimy explored her insides, coiling around her tongue. She was about to push Yang off and chide her for the surprise attack, but one arm pinned her arm above her head while the other snaked into her pants, sliding down into her underwear. A mewl escaped her, muffled by Yang's kiss, and writhed underneath her grasp. The kiss must have lasted at least a minute before the blonde pulled away, leaving behind a string of saliva and a panting Cat Faunus.

Satisifed with her work, she grinned. "Before you decide and go on guard duty," she said huskly, leaning close to her ear. "Why don't we have some fun first~?"

"B-but..." Blake panted as Yang removed her hand from her wrist, choosing to wrap her fingers into her soft breast. Whenever Yang had her captured like this, she knew she wouldn't be able to fight back. She was a captive of her lover's touch. "W-Weiss and Ruby are..."

"Knocked out six ways from Sunday!" Yang insisted with a smirk. "Plus, Neo got my switch flipped." She giggled as her nose brushed against hers. "I'm not letting you get much sleep tonight, Blakey~"

"A-aah!" Blake gasped when she felt two fingers slip inside her. Before a moan could escape from her throat, Yang captured her again in a kiss.

Blake felt a jolt when Yang's fingers played with her clitoris and curled into her g-spot. Her nether regions were getting moist with each passing motion. Her legs quivered as she soon found herself putting herself deeper into the kiss, wrapping a leg around Yang's waist and an arm around her neck. Mentally, the buxom brawler grinned to herself, realizing that she now had Blake at her mercy. With that in mind, she used the hand groping her chest to undo the knot on her shirt, causing it to fall open and reveal a lacy black bra. Meanwhile, her occupied hand began to run its fingers across the slit of her entrance, which only sent stronger shivers down Blake's back.

She used her index and ring fingers to spread her lower lips open as she prodded inside her using her middle finger. Her amber eyes widened as another moan nearly escaped her, fingers gripping the fabric of Yang's shirt. However, she wasn't quite done yet as she pulled up her bra, revealing her breasts in all their exposed glory, including her perky nipples. Yang then pulled out of the kiss, leaving another string of saliva behind, as well as Blake left in pants, her breaths hot and cheeks flushed. Grinning at her handiwork, she went back to it as she began to deliver small nibbles and kisses along her cheek, slowly making her way down towards her chest. Meanwhile, she continued pump her fingers into her girlfriend.

Not wanting to wake up the two sleeping girls close by, Blake was forced to bite into her knuckles, doing her best to suppress the moans. Dammit, how does Yang keep doing this to her? She was constantly falling into her pace and barely able to fight back. Well, then again...she can't say she's complaining, either. She just wished Yang would do this at an appropriate time and place!

With her free hand beginning to massage, grope and pinch her nipple on one breast, Yang's lips reached the other, giving it a chaste kiss before enveloping it in her mouth. She gently sucked on it while fondling it with her tongue, make it sure to brush over it nice and slowly to get it nice and wet. Back and forth several times. Blake's muffled moans grew even louder. This, coupled with the motion of her fingers, was easily bringing her ever closer to the climax.

Much to her own shame, she always finished far too quickly. Of course, this just made Yang want to bully her more once she caught on to this fact. After all, if she finished quickly, then she would just keep doing it over and over again until she gave out. And with each climax heightening her sensitivity...it will be one hell of a ride.

Seeing her body quivering so much underneath her touch, Yang released her grip over her breast and looked up at Blade with a sadistic smile. "Almost there?" she asked playfully. Blake's pitiful, erotic whimpers were all the answers she received. Snickering, she narrowed her eyes and ceased her finger's movements. The Cat Faunus' eyes widened, bacing herself what was about to happen as Yang pulled her hand away from her mouth and leaned in close for another kiss. "Well, go right ahead~"

With that, she dived back into her mouth, this time grabbing the back of her head and pulling her in deep for it while she inserted a second finger into Blake's warm entrance, and began to slam them deeper inside. At the same time, her thumb toyed with her clit.

At that point, she couldn't hold herself back anymore. The build up was just too much. She tried to hold on as much as she could, but the pressure behind the dam just built up before exploding. Her lower muscles spasmed as liquid flooded out of her crevice. Even still, Yang continued to torture her with pleasure, completely intent of milking out her orgasm. The sex fluids continued to spill out, drenching the blonde's hands, and by extension, Blake's panties. Some of the stuff managed to seep into her pants, creating a small wet damp area in between her legs. Left utterly exhausted, legs shaking madly, Yang pulled out of the kiss.

"You okay there, kitty cat?" she asked.

Blake's mind struggled to get a hold of itself. Her mind was left in a haze of pleasure and sex. After a moment, she found her voice. "Y-you..." she croaked. "Suck..."

"Oh, don't I know it~?" Yang grinned. "Up for round 2?"

"W-wait-aaah~!"

As Yang went back on the attack again, a certain former heiress' face was scarlet red, hands clasped over Ruby's ears while under the guise of cuddling with the petite reaper. ' _Y-you horny idiots!'_ her mind cried, utterly mortified by what she was hearing. _'There's a time and place for everything!'_

* * *

Morning had arrived for the four teens. Well, more specifically, morning arrived for Nora...and Nora arrived for the three of them.

"WAAAAAAKE Up, LAZY BUTTS!" She cheered as she roused her three friends from their slumber.

Jaune groaned as he rolled over, pressing his pillow against his ears while Pyrrha grimaced, rousing from her slumber. Ren sighed as he sat up, rubbing his eyes and letting out a yawn, stretching his arms.

"It's morning~" the hyperactive girl chanted like a song. "It's morning~ Iiiiit's morning~!"

"Five more minutes..." Jaune murmured, not willing to wake up yet. He was still so sleepy... "Just five more minutes..."

"Sorry, Jaune." Ren told him. "But with Nora, you won't be getting five minutes." Hell, he'd be lucky to get even five seconds with the girl. Yawning again, he pushed the covers off his blanket and stood up, pulling the pillow from Jaune. "Come on. Up and at 'em."

Reluctantly, Jaune began to rouse himself, pulling himself up and rubbing the sand from his eyes. Meanwhile, Pyrrha stretched out the kinks in her body, resulting in a few loud 'pops' from her body. She had to admit, sleeping on the floor was pretty stiff, but more comfortable than she initially thought.

As usual, per the morning ritual everyone went through, they went to the bathroom to wash his teeth. "I can't believe we've been at Beacon for a full 24 hours!" Nora gushed in excitement as she waved her hand around, toothpaste flying everywhere as she did so. Much to Jaune's dismay, some of it landed in his hair, casing him to fuss over it. "Not that I'd thought we'd get kicked out or anything!"

 _'I wouldn't be surprised if we had...'_

"I mean, you're the perfect student and I'm, well, me! And Jaune is Jaune and Pyrrha is Pyrrha!"

 _'Precisely the reason why we would have been kicked out...'_

Next, they returned to the ballroom, and began packing up his things. This was required for all students, as to be prepared for whether or not you would be staying or sent home, should you not make the cut at Initiation. He focused on tying up his sleeping bag while Nora continued to speak at rapid pace, brushing her hair. "But it's craaazy, you know? We've been friends for sooo long! What were the odds that we'd still be together?"

She paused. The blonde and redhead looked at her, quirking an eyebrow at what she just said.

"Well, not TOGETHER, together. I mean, not saying that you're not handsome! You are handsome, but that'd just be weird...right?"

 _'Not really...'_

After packing up, they then made their way to the mess hall. Perhaps the most vital of the morning ritual when starting combat school early; sustenance. After all, one could never fight on an empty stomach. However, slightly to Ren's displeasure, he learned that breakfast consisted of pancakes. It wasn't that Ren disliked pancakes, don't get him wrong, it was just...he had grown tired of it. The reason was still talking. "Right, what was I thinking?" Nora said, her mouth full of a as-of-yet eaten pancake. "But still, I hope we end up on the same team together!" With a loud slurp, and in a single gulp, Nora gobbled down the pancake whole, causing Jaune and Nora to stare at her with large eyes as they wisely chose to guard their food with their lives. "Ooh, we should come up with some sort of plan! To make sure we end up on the same team!" The girl tilted her head, a hand on her chin. "What if we bribe the headmaster? No, wait, that won't work! He has the school."

 _'If anyone did end up with you on their team, they'd go nuts...'_

Finally, after an hour or so, Ren had arrived at the locker room, gathering his equipment, and making sure everything was in place. Jaune was having trouble finding his locker, remarking that he would have had to count rather high to make sure the number was accurate while Pyrrha was inspecting her weapon for any last-minute problems. Nora had followed along, as he had fully expected...and still talking lightning quick. "I know! We'll have some sort of signal! Like a distress signal!" she declared, finger pointed straight at the sky. Then, she gasped, darting to his right. "A secret signal we can use to find each other in the forest!"

 _'Wait for it...'_

Nora popped up to his left, looking genuinely curious as he pulled Storm Flower out from his locker, slipping it into his sleeves. "Can you imitate a sloth?"

"...Nora?" Ren said in a tired tone.

"Yes, Ren?"

"...I don't think sloths make a lot of noise."

The girl's face fell, as if in disappointment. However, it vanished not even a second later and was replaced by a grin of jubilation. "That's perfect! No one would even know it's us! It will be the perfect signal!"

Jaune, after having managed to find his sword and shield, walked over to the Mistralian boy with Pyrrha, both of whom looked quite amused. "Does she always talk like this?"

"You have absolutely no idea." Ren sighed, shaking his head before turning to his friend. "Come on, Nora. Let's go."

Nora grinned, snapping into a salute. "Roger dodger!"

With that, the four teens took off, making way for the cliff that overlooked the Emerald Forest. The place where it would soon become make or break.

The place to decide whether or not they would become Huntsman.

 **Girls Night Out: END**

* * *

 ** _And I'm back with another chapter, along with some steamy action. Truth be told, I have not attempted anything worthy of 'smut' level since my DC LEGACY story, and it's been ages since I touched it. Anyway, with Neo showing interest in Yang, and probably not of the healthy variety, along with the possibility of finding an unlikely ally here in Vale, what's awaiting the RWBY crew? Especially when Cinder's apparently started to show an interest in Roman's new unknown helper?  
_**

 ** _As always, there is but one way to find out._**

 ** _Hopefully, I can start showing a bit more love for this story, especially since I've started to cook up some interesting story plots. Regarding some of you guys asking whether or not the girls will end up in Beacon...that answer lies in their future encounter with Team JNPR, especially with what I have planned in regards to Volume 1's Climax. Won't say anything...but I assure you, it'll be EPIC._**

 ** _Once again, shout out to Daemon of Wrath for helping me with this chapter. I definitely recommend our collab work: "Of Crystal Shards and Dust." We've only gotten three updates on our latest chapter, and reviews are our lifeblood. Needless to say, give me some love too with reviews and tell me what you guys think so far._**

 ** _Until next time, guys._**


	4. Chapter 4

**Remnant...**

 **A world, left fractured, incomplete, mere pieces without a fixed point to return. It is a world that is all but the remains of a forgotten history, of a time that man has long since forgotten. Yet, within that world there are Legends. Epics. Stories scattered through time. Mankind has grown quite fond of recounting the exploits of heroes and villains, forgetting so easily that we are remnants, byproducts, of a forgotten past.**

 **Man, born from dust, was strong, wise, and resourceful, but he was born into an unforgiving world. An inevitable darkness – creatures of destruction – the creatures of Grimm – set their sights on man and all of his creations. These forces clashed, and it seemed the darkness was intent on returning man's brief existence to the void.**

 **However, even the smallest spark of hope is enough to ignite change, and in time, man's passion, resourcefulness, and ingenuity led them to the tools that would help even the odds. This power was appropriately named "Dust".**

 **Nature's wrath in hand, man lit their way through the darkness, and in the shadow's absence came strength, civilization, and most importantly, life. But even the most brilliant lights eventually flicker and die. And when they are gone... darkness will return.**

 **So you may prepare your guardians, build your monuments to a so-called "free world", but take heed... there will be no victory in strength.**

 **...but perhaps victory is in the simpler things that you've long forgotten. Things that require a smaller, more honest soul.**

...

...

...

IN THIS WORD, THERE IS NO SMALL, HONEST SOUL

* * *

 _"Never succumb to the temptation of bitterness." -Martin Luther King Jr._

* * *

 _ **Outsiders**_

* * *

Roman felt like things were becoming more and more complicated as time went on, working under Cinder.

Things used to be so simple. He was just your average criminal, working his way through the ladder until he finally controlled the streets. The whole Kingdom saw him as its kinpin, and everyone wanted a piece of him. Yet he kept things straight. He put the two bits in their place, and anyone who tried to start something in his neighborhood found themselves with a bullet in their skull.

It really was a great feeling. Having grew up in the slums, being in a position of power really made it seem like his old life was a joke. And then came that dame Cinder Fall and his whole world was flipped upside down. He felt like he was back to being a scrub, forced to work under her. It also didn't help that she purposely kept him in the dark, only giving him information when she thought it was necessary or when it was a last minute thing.

Like having him work with the White Fang. The only positive relationship that came out of that partnership was that he and that bull shared something in common: they wanted Cinder Fall gone.

Roman had no loyalties to anyone. Not even to Neo, but the same could be said about her. She lived however she pleased and did whatever she pleased. They worked together, yes, but they were first and foremost thieves and crooks and murderers.

And they personally wanted to laugh at whoever said thieves had honor.

Despite his men being thrown in jail, Junior had seen how grouchy he was when he complained about his boss and wisely said nothing. Instead, he offered him a VIP booth where he was free to lounge. The beer was maybe a bit shitty, but he ordered just enough to get drunk.

He so did not want to be sober tonight. So much shit had just happened that he wanted to drown it all in alcohol.

Don't even get him started on the events regarding the brat who saved his skin. He was thankful for the kid for getting involved and saving his ass from that Huntsman, but Cinder having an interest in her was so not in his best interest. He had morals, and one of those morals was not getting kids involved. Even if they were fellow street rats.

As he prepared to take a drink from his own little mix of alcoholic beverages, his Scroll buzzed. "Better not be Cinder." he grouched before he took out his Scroll. To his relief, it was Neo. "What she want?" Opening up his Scroll, it had a simple message. Simply put, the girl who saved his ass, Ruby or something, was apparently traveling with three other girls. One of which being the abducted Schnee heiress that may as well have been disowned by this point in time.

And two girls wanted a meeting with him. Neo even had a little picture snagged, one that made him raise an eyebrow. It showed Neo sucking face with some blonde bimbo. Actually, now that he looked closer, he noticed that the girl looked a little familiar, but he couldn't place it.

A knock came to his door. "Excuse me, Mr. Torchwick?" one of Junior's boys called from the door. "Two girls are here, asking for you."

Roman groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. He wasn't nearly drunk enough for this shit. "Send 'em up." he said. The goon left and his footsteps vanished, and then were shortly replaced by a set of new ones. The door opened and revealed his guests. One of them was the blonde bimbo Neo was kissing (and maybe fucking) and the other was a Faunus girl, black hair and amber eyes and looking ready to bust out with a weapon at a moment's notice.

Both of them were street rats. Just like the kind, Neo and himself at one point.

"Most guys would feel flattered that two beautiful ladies would came all this way to see me." Roman quipped as he took out a cigar. "But somehow, I don't feel all that lucky. You two are friends with Red, or Ruby or whatever her name is, right?"

"That's us." the blonde nodded. "Name's Yang. Her older sister. Step sisters, by the way." She nudged her head to her partner. "And this is my sexy partner Blake."

The way Blake's cheeks turned pink meant a lot more than he first thought. 'A lotta boys are either turned on or disappointed they're off the market and bat for the other team.' Roman thought to himself, fighting the urge to grin. "Pleased to meet you. So, tell me, to what do I owe the pleasure? Do keep in mind that I'm trying to get shit faced and the only reason I even bothered meeting you broads was because Neo asked me to."

"We came here looking for information." Blake said, cutting straight to the point. Roman raised an eyebrow, giving her a scrutinizing glare. If she wanted information, it would've been better to ask Junior. There wasn't a better info broker than him, and that was saying something.

"And your talking to me because...?"

"Because the information we're after has to do with your boss. A woman called Cinder Fall." The mobster stared at her in surprse, which she added onto with her next line, "Adam Taurus of the White Fang wants her dead."

He blinked. Once, twice. Then he stared at the beer in his hands and groaned. "You, my friend, are lucky I'm as sober as I am right now." he said, setting the drink down and tipping his bowler hat. "Alright, my feline friend and her blonde buxom girlfriend... What do you wanna know? Because, honestly, I'd pay you twice as much as what ol' Adam is paying to get rid of that woman."

* * *

While Roman was busy with the two girls, Neo had decided to hang out with Ruby and Weiss. It was certainly odd, not to mention very awkward what with Weiss clearly showing not a single shred of trust in the woman. Not that Ruby blamed her. She was suspicious of anyone they met, especially after that incident with those men out on the highway a few years back.

The less said about that incident, however, the better, as none of them liked to revisit such memories. Even if said memories ended in said men getting reduced to bloody smears on the road by the end of it.

"Just what do you want?" Weiss asked her with narrowed eyes. Neo gave the girl a look and pointed a finger to herself. "Yes, you."

The woman merely gave a shrug and whipped out a flashcard that said: _I'm bored._

"If you're bored, then why are you hanging out in our home?"

Another flashcard. _Because I like Ms. Scythe over there_. For emphasis, she pointed to Ruby, who was busy doing maintenance on Crescent Rose, having been unable to get around to it up until now.

"What?" Weiss questioned, a small surge of envy sparked within her.

She held up another card. _Oh? You don't like the fact I like her? You jealous?_

She then developed a grin as he made an obscene motion with her fingers and nudged her head to Ruby, the poor girl still oblivious to what was happening. Weiss choked and her cheeks burned. "We aren't like that!" she hissed. "We love each other, b-but not in that way! I'm not like Yang dammit."

Neo's smile dropped. She almost looked disappointed before holding up a sign that read: **_LAME!_**

"Where do you keep pulling these things out?" Weiss couldn't help but wonder. The flash cards she could understand, but using a Scroll would have been far more practical. The sign, though? There was no way her pockets could be that deep. Unless they were inter-dimensional pockets like that comic Yang liked to read. She quickly shook her head and put herself back on the topic. "Just stay away from Ruby. If you do anything to hurt her..."

The threat was there, but Neo just looked amused. All she gave was a nod before she went back to messing with her Scroll.

Weiss was still not convinced, but she let it slide...for now.

There's no way she was going to let anything hurt Ruby ever again.

She didn't trust Neo. In fact, she rarely trusted anyone these days, a trait Blake shared with her. They only trusted people they knew that could be trusted, and strangers were avoided with an almost religious zeal. Neo was also unnerving, what with her affiliation with a mafiaso like Roman Torchwick. Though her posture was lax, it was clear that she could lash out at a moment's notice.

Weiss was maybe a bit biased as well, given how her last meeting with Roman had resulted in his goons trying to get touchy feely with her. She hated the man with a passion, but for the sake of the job they had undertaken, she'd try to be civil.

The bastard just better not expect her to forgive him anytime soon, though.

"All done." Ruby said with a smile as she held up Crescent Rose, currently in its rifle form. There were still several scratches and dents in it, but it looked a lot cleaner. There were also a few added pieces to it as well, courtesy of her savings. Satisfied, she set it down on her bed and then looked over to the two women behind her. "What's going on over here?"

"Nothing." Weiss told her. Neo smirked and made another obscene motion, making her eyebrow twitch in annoyance. "If you do that again, I will freeze your hands."

In response, she pulled out a flashcard from her pocket: _Oooh, kinky~_

"Shut it you." She seethed. This woman was infuriating! God, she felt like she was dealing with another Yang, only this one seemed worse!

"Hey, Neo." Ruby tilted her head. "What's Roman like?" This earned a cute little tilt from said girl, expression speaking for her. "Well, the news make it seem like he's this really bad criminal, but he hasn't killed anyone."

No sign or flashcard this time. Instead, to Weiss' irritation, she took out her Scroll and held it up for her to see.

[He's not bad. Much better than other partners I've had in the past. He doesn't kill anyone because I'm in charge of that detail.] she told the girl. [Sometimes he's a bit of a pain, sometimes not. We've practically stuck by each other since we crawled out of the slums. This was back when he was just starting out as the so-called Kingpin of Crime.]

"So you two are old partners, then."

[Pretty much. We've stuck by each other ever since. We just work so well together.] Neo then grinned. [Especially since he isn't trying to get into my pants. Can't tell you how many times a guy tries to get to know me because he wants to fuck. I assume it's the same with your blonde friend, Yang?]

"How'd you guess?" Ruby seemed surprised.

[Saw a guy try to get lucky with her. She grabbed him by the balls and threw him aside like he was trash.]

"Yeah, that sounds like her." Ruby nodded in understanding. Her sister refused to take shit from anyone.

Neo then gave a sly grin. [Speaking of Yang, she's one hell of a kisser. Is the cat any good?]

Ruby's cheeks turned pink when she heard that, whereas Weiss choked. "W-wait, did you kiss Yang?!"

[More like violated her mouth. I even gave her my contact info!]

 _'Then no wonder she and Blake were up and at it!'_ Well, now she knew who to blame for that. She was now severely tempted to run her through with Myrtenaster now. Oh, so very tempted. She sucked in a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. "Putting that aside..." she stressed. "Do you mind if we ask about Cinder Fall?"

At the mention of the name, Neo's good mood plummeted instantly. [That depends. Are we gonna talk about all the ways we can horrifically maim her, humiliate her or sell her to the sex trade? Cause if we are, I can go on for hours.]

"I take it by your reaction, that she's the absolute worst?"

[That doesn't even begin to describe her...] Neo frowned. [She's rude, she's stuck up, and she's a control freak. Doesn't like it when someone doesn't do as their told. And she doesn't tell us a damn thing. If your kitty cat friend is serious about killing her, tell her she's gonna have to get in line. I called first dibs.]

"Got it." Weiss nodded in understanding. None of them appreciated working with people like that.

It usually ends up with either party getting backstabbed.

* * *

Jaune stared at the sight in slight awe. Everyone had gathered at the cliff overlooking the entire Emerald Forest. It certainly lived up to the name, as all he could see as far as he could was a sea of green leaves, stretching on for miles. It wasn't nearly as pretty as the Forever Fall forests, though.

And he was hoping it wasn't nearly as traumatic. At least this time, he didn't have his "teacher" here to throw him to the wolves.

"For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest." Ozpin said, voice crisp and clear with a mug in his hand. "I'm certain most of you have already heard rumors of assignments, but allow me to put those rumors to rest. You will be assigned to a team of four. Today."

"Today?" Pyrrha tilted her head. "Isn't that rather early?"

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well." Nora was immediately staring at Ren, no doubt thinking of partnering with him as soon as they entered the forest. Jaune, on the other hand, felt slightly nervous. This whole thing seemed kind of dangerous. What if he partnered with someone that didn't like him at all, or was a total dick? "That being said, I should also tell you that the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

He choked. "W-what?!" Partners based on Eye contact? that was incredibly random! What if we get paired with someone we don't even know or work well with? It would be a disaster for the time at Beacon! And they actually had to follow through with this?!

"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die."

 _Great..._ Jaune thought. _No sugar coating it._

"Once you reach the temple, you will retrieve a relic with your partner and bring it back here. Now, are there any questions?"

"Yeah, uh...sir?"

"Good!" Ozpin continued. "Please take your positions."

Jaune was utterly ignored, making him whine as everyone all took their starting positions. He was about to try and ask Ozpin something again, but he stopped when he saw someone at the end of the row suddenly get launched into the air. He then looked at the stone platform at his feet, and promptly paled.

"...oh shit."

He never prepared for this. He didn't even graduate from a combat school! He only got here because of a recommendation! And how was he supposed to make a landing strategy if all he has is his sword, armor, and shield?! Trembling and hoping to god this would all work out, he gripped his weapons tightly and clenched his teeth. One by one, the students were launched. Nora let out a whoop as she was sent flying, Ren and Pyrrha were just composed and soared through the air, letting their bodies and instincts do all the work for him.

Jaune was nowhere near as graceful. He was, however, able to bite back a scream as he found himself being thrown fifty feet into the air and pushing his Aura out.

With the last of the students sent out, Ozpin looked at the forest and took a quick drink from his mug. "...this should be an interesting year." he remarked with a small smile. "The Invincible Girl from Mistral, and that young man."

"I still can't believe he got a recommendation from that man of all people..." Glynda sighed. "For heaven's sake, the boy hasn't even graduated from a Combat Preparation Academy. What is he thinking?"

"I imagine he's just trying to keep his mind off of things." Ozpin's tone turned somber, eyes dimming slightly. "He took what happened that day the hardest."

Glynda's expression grew equally solemn. Ever since that day, the poor man had been drinking far more than normal. He's been doing his best to move on, but he could never bring himself to. Even she felt tempted to grab a bottle of liquor, but chose not to due to her position. She couldn't afford to get herself plastered, especially when she was busy warriors of the next generation. Sighing to herself, she continued to watch over the events in the Emerald Forest.

Hopefully, she wouldn't have to inform any parents about a student's death...

* * *

Jaune had never felt so grateful for the intervention of a girl in all of his life, not since the day his sisters stood up for him back at Glaive Academy. Even with Aura, he would have definitely taken some serious damage, especially since he was no doubt about to hit the floor on his face. Pyrrha had managed to prevent that by pinning him to a tree, courtesy of her spear.

"You're not really all that used to combat situations, are you?"

Jaune sighed at her question as they walked, ducking underneath a tree branch. "Yeah... I got pulled out of Prep School, but I got here through a recommendation." he told her. "And he...wasn't really the most sane teacher."

"How do you mean?"

"Did anyone in Sanctum Academy ever toss you into a forest full of Grimm and you had to fight them off with only a knife? And said teacher watches you get the crap kicked out of you?"

Pyrrha winced from the description. "No. I never had that experience. I'm...sorry?" She wasn't quite sure how to properly respond.

"It's fine. He may have been insane, but he was a pretty good teacher...relatively speaking." Jaune shrugged. "At least I learned how to survive those scenarios, but fighting is a different matter entirely."

"I can only imagine..." In truth, the teacher sounded rather interesting, if perhaps maybe a bit touched in the head. "What is he like?"

"Well, he likes to drink a lot." Jaune admitted. "Almost every time I met the guy after I was pulled out of school, he had a flash in his hand. Guy looked really troubled, so I guess something really bad must have happened to him. He doesn't like to talk much about his past." He paused briefly. "Well, he did talk about having a family, or maybe some relatives. He didn't say much, but I think I can guess what happened."

The loss of family members was not something Jaune was familiar with. The only loss he suffered was his grandfather, and that happened when he was still a year old. Aside from that, he didn't know or couldn't imagine what it must be like. All he could think about was the pain and suffering a person must suffer. He didn't even want to imagine what his life would be like, if he lost his sisters or parents.

"I see..." Just as Pyrrha was about to continue the conversation, the two suddenly stopped. Jaune felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise and his hand immediately went for the pommel of Crocea Mors. Pyrrha's shield was already deployed and Milo in sword form. "Be on guard, Jaune."

"Y-yeah, I know."

In the shadows before them, red eyes stared out hungrily. Then they lunged, revealing ivory white fangs primed to rend flesh.

* * *

"C'mon, hit him already!"

"He's just a piss poor drunk! Clock his lights out already!"

"Kill 'em!"

Let it be said that Vacuo was never lively. Especially in bars, where a brawl was surely brewing. That being said, the guy with a drink in his hand wasn't too worried. Sure fortune did not smile on him once in his life, he wasn't concerned by the fact that a group of thugs were aiming to beat him into a bloody pulp.

He was more concerned about keeping his drink in his hand. One thug rushed up with a hook punch that the man ducked under.

"Will you idiots knock it off?" he asked, his voice oddly pleasant in spite of the fact that he was more or less trying to get plastered all to high hell. "Trying to enjoy a good drink. Gods know I need it."

"Shut it, you son of a-" He shut him up with a kick to the throat, knocking him down to the floor. The man coughed haphazardly, choking and stunned before the man followed up with another dirty trick: a quick stomp to the balls. "Aaaaaieeeeeeeeh!"

Was it a low blow that violated the code against brothers? Yes.

Did the man give a shit? _Fuck. No._

Honor had no place in a battlefield for survival. It was the type of environment he grew up in and stuck around even now.

Besides...Grimm did not care about crap like honor. Neither did thieves or criminals.

If they did, his family would still be alive and safe and sound. Feeling a spark of rage well up within him, he took it out on the other thug by grabbing him by the head and slamming him into the wooden floor...hard.

He then took a swig of his whiskey to numb the rage. Much to his disappointment, he found the bottle utterly drained. "Well, shit." Qrow Branwen grimaced as he tossed the bottle out of his hand. It hit the floor and shattered at the same time he rammed his knuckles into another thug's face, shattering his nose. "Well, boys. You got my undivided attention. Now, all of you stand still so I can use you as punching bags."

The thug in his grip responded with mumbled slurs. But the man continued by punching him in the face over and over until he fell unconscious.

From there, the bar just erupted into chaos as the fight soon escalated. For whatever reason, all the patrons became involved and started throwing punches at each other. The more extreme ones, especially the bartender, grabbed anything and everything that wasn't bolted down and started slamming people around with them. It was far from an uncommon sight. Hell, in Vacuo, it may as well have been a daily occurrence as no one batted an eyelash as bodies were sent flying out into the streets.

Either way, it was one means of entertainment that Qrow sometimes enjoyed when the liquor ran out.

He ducked underneath a swing and rammed his knee into one guy's stomach, blowing the wind out of him before grabbing him by the roots of his hair and punching his lights out. This left him open for someone to slam a chair into his back, causing him to stumble. He glared at the guy who whacked him with it and retaliated with a haymaker, sending him sprawling to the floor. He saw a guy rushing at him with a beer bottle. Seeing another opportunity for a drink, he easily dodged the man's attempt to strike him and grabbed the bottle from his hand and stuck his leg out, forcing him to trip and collide into two men that were already going at it.

Just as Qrow was about to pop open the bottle, a knife whistled through the air and slammed into his hand, knocking the bottle and sending it crashing to the floor.

"God dammit." he growled. "Can't a guy get drunk in Vacuo?"

Apparently not as another guy snuck up from behind him and grabbed him in a Full Nelson hold. Growing more annoyed by the second, Qrow pulled out and slammed him straight through the floorboards via a German Suplex.

It wouldn't be for another hour until Qrow emerged out from the bar, sporting a small cut on his lip and a dark purple bruise under his eye. Wiping the blood from his lip, Qrow rolled his neck. He had to admit, it had been a while since he managed to vent out his frustrations on something other than a Grimm. Then again, he should maybe hold back. Not all of the people in there had Aura, and he really wasn't looking forward to getting pulled into the slammer again.

Especially if the Headmaster of Shade decided to pay him a visit. He was so not looking forward to that.

"And I only managed to down one bottle." he murmured in disappointment. "My Semblance really must hate me today..."

He felt his Scroll vibrate in his pocket. Taking it out, he let out a small sigh and answered the call. "What is it, Oz? Shouldn't you be overseeing Initiation? Actually, if this about Goldilocks, I'm not taking responsibility for his corpse."

[On the contrary.] Ozpin replied coolly. [He's doing rather well. He managed to partner with Pyrrha Nikos.] Qrow whistled. Getting stuck with a real prodigy like that was a real stroke of luck. Well, at least someone had luck. [Actually, there's...something I need to discuss with you. In person, preferably. How soon can you get back to Vale?]

"Depends. What do you need to talk about?"

Ozpin didn't answer for a moment. In fact, it seemed like he was trying to find the right words to convey before he sighed. [...I believe we may have found your nieces.]

There were no words. Instead, he dropped the call altogether and broke into a sprint before leaping into the air, his form vanishing from sight. A young girl playing in her front yard and building a small sand castle looked up, finding a crow soaring into the air and out of sight...

 **A Shift in Shadows: END**

* * *

 _ **Oh, holy shit. It lives?**_

 _ **Heads up, y'all. Me and my amigo Daemon of Wrath are about to go on our first binge write!**_


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